Eye for an Eye
by LolaLot
Summary: Danzo regime. Tsunade is still in a coma while Danzo steps in her shoes and fully enjoys his place as Hokage. He makes new rules as to how the village should be led, forcing our favorite ninjas to create an underground resistance. Due to one of the new rules, Sakura is forced to live with Kakashi, even though both of them are unsure of how to react to this violent turn of events.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so here's my second Naruto fanfic. As last time, I sincerely hope the characters won't be too OOC. I'll definitely try and stop myself from rushing through this story. This is a huge problem for me, I'm always too impatient. xD

So, before we start, I'll have to clarify a few things. This story is set at the pre-kage summit moment, but starts right after it. This means that Tsunade is in a coma and Danzo is Hokage. The town is still in ruins from Pein's attack. And I guess that's all we really need to know right off the bat.

If you haven't noticed, I've removed all information on my current stories from my profile... That's because I've started a blog instead! You can head there to figure out what's going on, and even read my stories there. It would be greatly appreciated if you do so, since there is a possibility of revenue if I can get enough clicks. ;)

** www . lolalotsbook . blogspot . ca**

Chapter one: Moving in

Every single one of Konoha's ninjas were currently sitting in the meeting hall of the Hokage's building, seperated by their ranks. The chuunin sat at the far right of the immense room, the jonin on the opposite, the ANBU behind the chuunins. The genins sat behind their teachers, while Danzo's root agents were lined up behind him. Kakashi hadn't thought they would be outnumbering his beloved city's current military force. Pein's attack had taken a serious toll on their numbers, too many good and loved ninjas had been mercilessly murdered that day.

The reason of this meeting was for Danzo, no, sorry, the Hokage, to announce how his village was to be led. Said man was truly a warlord, and an atrociously outdated one, so the Copy Nin had no doubts he would be temped to desert the village. Sadly, he was well aware he'd never be able to do that. Tsunade would wake up soon, right? Or worse, he might be pushed in the Hokage's shoes because finally, the elders would figure out Danzo wasn't the rightful owner of the position. For now, they'd have to deal with him. He had even considered praying to the skies for lightning to strike him down or something, but had refrained when he realized how silly he was being.

After his introduction speech, the heavily bandaged man lost no time in making his rules clear.

"Current and future genins will be required to take on an additional test to see if they are fit to be root members. If so should be the case, they will be sent to root's compounds for their training. If some of you are not clear with root's ways, they are very similar to the academy and ranks you currently know. These ninjas are trained to take on any task without letting emotion and compassion block their path.", he started, his voice even and a little hoarse. What could you expect from a man nearly as old as the Sandaime?

"Chuunins will be re-evaluated starting next week. They will get promoted, demoted or stay the same rank as we deem fit. No one will be an exception to this rule.", he continued, clearing his throat at the end and pausing to watch his audience. All of them had relatively impassive expressions, waiting for all of his speech to be over before reacting.

"Relations with fellow ninja villages will also be re-evaluated and treated as should be.", he added. The silver-haired jonin held in a scowl. Of course, barely any of their alliances would survive the incoming months.

"Medic-nins will now only be sent out on A- or S-class missions and are not to interfere with said missions other than to heal injuries in the smallest amount of time possible. Further information will be provided once you are summoned for such a mission." Kakashi couldn't help but throw a glance towards Sakura. She was in no way ready for S-class missions. There was a reason only jonin were allowed to partake in those.

"Also, all kunoichi will be restricted to intern missions and guard duty for an undertermined amount of time. Girls under the age of twenty will be required to be paired with a male jonin as legal guardian until they reach said age. Living under the same roof will be an obligation-", immediately the female populace of the hall began showing their discontentment.

"Silence!", the Hokage screamed. "Anyone who disobeys the Hokage is passible for execution. The decision will be taken between myself, the elders and a select few jonins.", the complaining died down quickly, replaced by fear. Was he really willing to be that extreme?

"You are now all dismissed. Jonin who wish to volunteer to be the legal guardian of the kunoichi under twenty will meet me at my office in an hour.", he added before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

As soon as was possible, Team 7 had reassembled outside the building, their grimaces telling all of how they felt of their current Hokage. His pink-haired student seemed the most pre-occupied and he had no doubt she had every right to be. These changes affected her the most, after all.

"Sakura, if you wish, I can offer my home.", he offered relucantly. He didn't want anyone else to live in his appartment, but he felt he had no choice. He had to help and protect her in every way possible right now. Who knows with who Danzo would pair her up with?

"Really? You could do that?", she let out, her voice full of shock. Her eyes seemed to spark a little at this, making the Copy Nin crinkle his eye and scratch the back of his head. At the least she was happy about it. It was probably her only fathomable option.

"Of course. I can't possibly let you under Danzo's care.", he answered mechanically, but truthfully. Sai and Naruto watched him with equally surprised expressions, but Naruto didn't take long before grinning widely and giving a thumbs up.

"Of course he will, Sakura! If something happened to you, no one would ever let him live it down!", he said enthusiastically, pulling her in a tight hug.

"Does that mean you and Sakura are now a couple?", Sai asked blankly, obviously trying to understand the very complicated social dynamics that made this situation somewhat unexpected and even inappropriate.

"Of course not, you freaking idiot!", Sakura growled back, turning Naruto's hug into a struggle to hold her in place as she tried to free herself to punch the clueless bastard on the arm.

"But my book said that when a woman and man move in together, it means that they're settling in a stable and long-lasting relationship. I didn't even know you two were involed romantically at all.", he added, tilting his head to the side while his eyes showed he was deep in thought.

The jonin could tell his only female student about to rip the artist a new one, so he decided to intervene, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her while he explained the situation to the other. "What Sakura here is trying to say is that I am only doing this because we are somewhat forced to. I am the only male jonin that she is close to and can count on to allow nothing to happen to her under her new roof."

Sai nodded his head in semi-understanding. How did that not change their relationship status, he wondered. Before this could turn better or worse, Shikamaru interrupted them discretely.

"Everyone is meeting at the Hyuuga estate at eight. Be there.", he said evenly, passing like a breeze. It was low enough so that they would be the only one to catch it and from any bypasser it would look like the Nara boy had just been muttering something under his breath.

Team 7 immediately quieted down after this, wondering what was up. They would have to wait until then to find out though, as he had offered no details as to even what the meeting was about. It certainly wasn't a friendly gathering by the way the only jonin from the rookie nine invited them. Kakashi cleared his mind quickly, gearing into serious mode.

"Sakura, go gather everything you need from your mother's house. I'll meet you there in two hours, after I've settled your new living arragements with our peachy Hokage.", he ordered, giving a quick eye crease before leaving for Danzo's office.

"Are you going to be okay?", the blonde asked much more worrisome now. He knew Sakura wouldn't take well to being patronized this way, but there was nothing that he could do...

"She will be. Kakashi-sensei will take care of it.", Sai reassured, posing a hand on his teammate's shoulder and faking a smile, even going as far as closing his eyes to make the gesture seem warmer.

"You're so creepy, Sai.", the jinchurikii dead-panned, quickly stepping away from him. The black-haired boy opened his eyes, managing to look shocked.

"I was trying to show support to my team.", he justified, frowning a little. It was so hard to understand people. He was trying, really.

"Whatever, I'll be fine, guys. Really. But I've really gotta go get my stuff before Kakashi-sensei makes it home before me.", she let out, faking a smile before she started her way to her home.

Her mother was currently away from the village, on a business trip to Suna with her father. This would make it easier, the girl guessed. It wasn't a good-bye, but it certainly wasn't the way she had envisionned moving out for the first time. It barely took her more than an hour and half to gather everything she needed in two big rolling suitcases. Both were old and worn out. They were the ones her father had used for his frequent business travels before he had bought new ones last week for the most recent trip with his wife.

Of course, Kakashi was late. An hour late. Sakura glared daggers at him as he came into her sight, hands in pockets and slouching as usual. He better have good news.

"Yo. It's okay. You're assigned to me now. I will need to report your every moves to Danzo once a month, but that should be fine. Every six months, we'll need to pass an evaluation to make sure your living conditions are fine and that I am not allowing you too much freedom, in short.", he explained evenly, though the even more prominent lack of expression told her that he wasn't feeling any better about this than she was. He picked up one of your suitcases and immediately started a quick pace towards his place.

"We'd better hurry if we want to meet our friends tonight.", he announced, purposefully vague because he felt he might tailed by some root agent. Couldn't be too careful right now. He might be executed, after all. His student followed him without hesitation, head hanging low and dreadfully silent to his taste. He wasn't one for many words, but he knew the girl behind was and that her silence wasn't to accomodate him, but rather the display of how much her personal thoughts currently consumed her.

The walk to his appartment complex had been an excruciating thirty-two minutes. Not a word had been said. He would have offered to carry both her suitcases up to the fourth floor where he lived, but that would only insult her inhumane strength, so he kept to himself. He liked that the staircases leading to each appartment were on the outside of the building. This allowed extra windows in his appartment, which he still thought lacked some. He was a private man, but he liked having the option of closing his blinds or not. Though they were always closed. It was really just a rhetorical thing.

"I'll give you a key once I have one made, until then you can use the window as much as you want.", he said as he unlocked the door with the only key available. Once inside, he gave Sakura a quick tour of the place, without even moving from his spot. His home was quite small, after all.

"This on the left, is the kitchen and dining room.", he explained, pointing to the slightly elevated room that was the kitchen. The whole appartment was quite open, only a short railing on the edge of the kitchen's platform and the stairs seperated it from the living room. The kitchen was modest, having numerous cupboards for storage and the classic stove and fridge in the back. His dining set was simple and wooden, sitting between the rails and the kitchen equipment. There were two windows in the room, one right above the sink and the other midway between the cupboards and the rail. The latter was was relatively large, taking up about half of the wall in both height and width. This meant that they were on the far right of the building.

"This is the living room.", he said blankly, pointing to his feet. The room wasn't large, but it was just spacious enough to hold two small adjacent couches. They seemed old and worn out. A large square coffee table was placed in front of them, it was quite big, really. But it seemed to fit. The small television was placed in the far right corner of the room, on the same side as the door. It faced the small empty space between the couches so it could be watched comfortably by either. The girl really hadn't expected her teacher to set his living room this way, expecting it to be a style much more fitting to the seemingly eternal bachelor. There was also a large bookcase against the left wall, which was completely full. She didn't know he read so much. Except for porn, that is.

"The first door on the right is my bedroom. I don't think I need to make you visit it.", he added before nodding to the middle door. "That's the bathroom. My washing machine and dryer are also in there.", he continue before finally looking at the last door, which was just a few feet away from the small staircase that led to the kitchen. "That will be your bedroom. Good thing Yamato insisted on giving an extra room when he built this place.", he finished, turning back to her. The girl nodded shyly. She had never been to his place, wether it was this one or the previous one that had been destroyed by Pein. Her parents' had been spared, being lucky enough to be on the far edge of the village, on the opposite side that had been anihilated.

"Okay. Thanks for the... Tour.", she replied flatly. She really didn't know how else to react right now. This was her new home for at least the next six months. Hopefully the next three years and a half. She didn't particularily wish to live with Kakashi for so long, but it was better than to be with a stranger, she assumed. A stranger who would pratically have control over her every move and breath. Danzo would pay one day. He would pay dearly for this.

"I wonder who Ino was paired with...", she wondered out loud as her head dropped lower and she stared at the floor. "And Tenten, and Hinata..."

"I arranged for Ino to be sent to Genma. I know he'll take good care of her. Hinata won't move anywhere since she is part of the Hyuuga clan and is already watched pretty closely by the headmasters. Gai took responsibility of Tenten", he clarified while he moved her luggage to her room. His tone let her understand that he was no more comfortable with the situation than she was.

"I see. At least all my friends seem to be in good hands.", she let out, somewhat relieved that no one had to live with some robot of a root agent. The girl followed him in the room that would now be hers. It was a little bigger than the kitchen. She constructed the house plan in her mind quickly, assuming that the house was pretty much a rectangle. The kitchen and living room were both the a little longer than they were wide, consisting of the first half of the appartment with the living room taking a little more length. If Kakashi's room was the same size as hers, then the bathroom had to be pretty small.

Her room was quite simple. She had noticed that every wall was white. He musn't have wanted to waste time personalizing it or painting it. She couldn't imagine him doing that anyway. It would be so weird. She could just hear a commercial jingle with Kakashi doing a happy eye crease and a motto saying "Don't forget to watch How to DIY with the Copy Ninja, tonight at eleven!". She supressed a giggle before it could come out. The last thing she wanted was her companion to ask her what was so funny.

On the far left side was her bed, a single place one. Nothing out of the ordinary, just what she needed and what she'd had back home. On its right was a very large dresser. There were no closets in this appartment. There had only been a clothes hanger besides the entrance, she had noted. There was a bookcase at her left, which was empty. A hamper was besides it. That was it. The room was quite empty. Well, it was better than nothing, right?

"Make yourself at home, Sakura. I'll go fix us something for dinner.", he let out before bypassing her to go to the kitchen. He closed the door behind him to give her some privacy. Privacy. She was going to miss that. Her parents' house had been modest, but nonetheless large enough so she wouldn't bump into them on her way to absolutely every room. How could she possibly avoid seeing him constantly here? There were no halls, no nothing to hide. She would make sure to mourn it a little later.

She unzipped one of her suitcases and peeked inside. This was the one that held all her clothes. She didn't wear most of them very often, as she was nearly always in ninja garb, but she liked having them handy for whenever Ino would drag her out of her house to go out. All of them were quite conservative. Sakura didn't like to show herself off too much. It was just embarrassing. Whenever her friend had forced her into more revealing clothes, she had only received perverted comments as a result. She really didn't know how the girl could appreciate such attention. It just made her itch to punch through a wall or something.

It didn't take her too long to unpack this one, making sure to organize everything perfectly. She had a drawer for her shirts, yes, the six shirts that she owned, one for her bottoms, and other seperate ones for her undies, socks and then shoes as well as one she kept for personal belongings, wether they were hygienic or memories. The dresser also had a top half where she could hang a few clothes. That was where she put her dresses. Her mother had insisted on buying her those. There were far more than she wanted, but the woman had refused for her daughter to be unprepared. A woman had to have a dress appropriate for each occasion, she thought, and so had bought her one every now and then that would be fit for several different occasion. An elegant outing, a day out in the sun, one for formal parties, not that she would ever attend one, and so on. Her mother was so annoying with this.

The other luggage consisted of her ninja and medic equipment as well as said hygienic products and a few item she had an emotional attachment to. Like the picture of Team 7. The Uchiha was still out and about, she had even heard that he had finally killed Itachi. Maybe he would be back soon. He had already abandonned Orochimaru, so why not finally come back to his friends? She missed him so much... She placed the suitcases on the wall besides the door, making sure they wouldn't get in the way of opening it. Once she was done putting every in place, she admired her handiwork, hands on her hips. They fell pretty quickly though. She had nothing to decorate the room with, so it looked exactly the same as it had before, save for the suitcases behind her. Damn.

She made her way out of her new bedroom and looked to her right to see her sensei bending over the stove to check what he was cooking. It smelled like stir fry. He didn't react when he heard the door click behind her so she just moved on to the bathroom, assuming it wasn't ready yet. She was right, the bathroom was really small. Two people could barely fit in it. On her left were the washing maching and dryer, stacked on top of one another. A hamper next to it. On the opposite side, they were faced respectively by the toilet and sink, which was topped with a mirror. The back wall was occupied by the bath. It also served as a shower.

She checked herself out in the mirror quickly, fixing whatever stray hair she saw and inspecting her appearance as a whole. Sakura wasn't incredibly self-conscious about her looks, but she certainly appreciated being tidy and well kept up. She went to the hair salon regularily to keep it just perfect and had a few skin creams to keep it looking smooth and even. She didn't know if they really helped, but Ino and Tenten swore by them so she had taken up the habit of using them as well. Why not? It couldn't hurt, coul it?

She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, checking up on her teacher again. He was setting the plates now. Good, she was just in time. She climbed the six stairs to the kitchen in a slight jog and peeked at what he hadd cooked. She was right, stir fry. She knew Kakashi was no health nut, but he hated sweets and anything fried, so it was inevitable that he would be eating lots of veggies, she thought. Half the plate was filled with said veggies, a quarter being rice and the rest was what looked like strips of chicken. He must have added a different sauce, because they were pratically red. She hesitated a little as she noticed the other plate was filled to the brim as well. There was no way she could eat all that. That was two full meals for a girl her size.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei?", she called softly, sitting down to face him.

"Yes? You aren't a picky eater, are you?", he asked, a slight frown on his face. He hadn't even acknowledged her presence before then.

"No, not at all. But I can't eat all of this. I'm sure Naruto and Sai probably eat even more than you, but I'd feel awful if I wasted your food.", she answered, picking up her chopsticks. "I can keep the rest of this for tomorrow's lunch, though."

"Oh. I guess. I'm not used to having a girl around.", he replied simply. Of course he wasn't. The only time that she knew he had spent time around a girl was when Team 7 was complete and still genins. Back then, she was a child. It wasn't hard to know a child didn't eat nearly as much as an adult. She mentally huffed at the mention of them being genins. Technically, she was the only one to get promoted because she was the only one who had been able to be present at the exam. That certainly didn't mean her two teammates didn't surpass her. Sasuke was an S-class missing nin and Naruto was probably up to par with him.

They ate in awkward silence. Awkward because Kakashi had lifted his headband while commanding her to look at him. Her sudden hope to finally see him unmasked was quickly crushed when she looked up at him to see his sharingan spinning. He had cast a genjutsu on her. She was blind. She had screamed obscenities at him, knocking her chair back when she stood up abruptly to go assault him, but it had only resulted in her throwing herself down the stairs. He hadn't even bothered to help her up, only directing her back to her chair and pushing her chopsticks so they touched the tip of her fingers. After all, if he had allowed her closer to him, he knew he would have a broken arm by now.

She had calmed down quickly though, feeling guilty about throwing such a fit in his personal space. She picked at her plate randomly, having no idea what she caught until she took a bite of it. In a way, she found it interesting to eat like this, but it certainly wasn't an experience she was willing to expand to all of her meals.

Kakashi was eating his meal with little excitment. He had to find a way to hide himself while eating. Yes, he wolfed down meals in what seemed like one bite when out with his team, but he really didn't want to have to eat like that every day because she now lived with him. That always made his stomach churn uncomfortably after. It wasn't made to digest intact food. As soon as he was done, he dispelled the illusion after he had pulled up his mask.

He wasn't surprised that Sakura's eyes moved up to his face as soon as her vision was back, but he nonetheless chuckled at the disappointed expression she now wore. She pouted when she heard him but shifted her focus back to her food quickly. She hadn't even eaten more than a quarter of it yet. He stood up, not waiting for her to finish. It would take too long. He placed the dirty dishes in the sink and started washing them. He was a neat person. It annoyed him beyong comprehension when something was out of its place in his all, when everything was always in its set place and you were the only one to know those details, it made it easier to know when someone had sneaked into your appartment.

The kunoichi was about to offer to do it for him, but stopped herself to instead watch him do it as she munched on a bite of chicken. It was so peculiar, to see him to such a mundane thing. Sharingan Kakashi had lost a lot of his mystery and novelty since she had been on his team, but she couldn't imagine him having to cook and clean like everyone else. A smile touched her lips as she finished eating and set the plate on the counter beside him.

"Where are your containers?...", she asked hesitantly, leaning her head to the side slightly and keeping it a bit lower than usual. She was really embarrassed to have to ask him this. For a second, she imagined this is what it would feel like to be newlywed to the ninja. A blush spread across her cheeks at the thought. Kakashi turned to see her. It was a time like this he missed having two normal eyes. She was on his left and he had no peripheral vision on that side, he had to turn his head at the least ninety degrees to get a glimpse of her. He smirked a little at her slightly embarrassed look.

He took a moment to observe his student then. It had been a while since he had spent time with her. Everyone had been so busy the past few months, heck, the past few years. Training had become extremely important with Orochimaru's comeback and then the Akatsuki menace. She had grown up nicely, he noted. Her face wasn't so childish anymore, it looked mature and determined. Young boys her age certainly found her beautiful and very attractive right now, he thought. Now wasn't the right time to wonder about that though, she was starting to frown and wonder why he was staring at her so intently.

"In the cupboard right in front of you, the bottom one.", he answered flatly and returned to his dishes. She nodded quietly and retrieved them from the cupboard. Sakura held her breath as their arms brushed while she was pushing the food down in the little box. She didn't know what she expected to happen, but it didn't feel right to touch the Copy Ninja at all in circumstances that weren't deemed dire.

He heard her breath suddenly stop and right then he wished he could see her without making it obvious he was watching her. She made a simple brush of their clothed arms seem so dramatic. He hated having his personal space invaded, but this was an innocent situation enough that he'd let slip without a second thought. It's not like they had all the space in the world in his small appartment. He could tell she relaxed a little and continued with her breathing once he gave no reaction. Hmm, now that sure was interesting, he thought, making a mental note to use this against her some time later. He might be obligated by his teacher and friend duties to take her under his roof, but that didn't mean she didn't have to pay in one way or another. Luckily, she couldn't see the evil glimer of his right eye.

It wasn't long before he was done cleaning. He glanced to Sakura, who was sitting at the table, waiting for him. She clearly didn't feel comfortable to roam his place freely. He rubbed his hand dry on a spare towel that lay inside the cupboard under the sink before turning to her. Her eyes moved to his but she refused to move an inch.

"Well, I think it's about time we go meet our friends at this little gathering.", he let out, his eye crinkling as if he was enthusiastic about the idea. His female friend nodded apprehensively. It couldn't be good news. Shikamaru had come across something important and dangerous if he was bringing everyone together immediately after the Hokage's announcement.

A/N: Woo, that was quite a bite longer than the chapters in Sensei, you're late. :P About 5000 words. I intend to make this the standard for chapters of this story. Nothing much happened in this chapter other than the painfully obvious way I'm pushing Sakura and Kakashi together, so expect this story to progress far more slowly than my previous one. I want to take my time with this story to make it really worthwhile and enjoyable to read. I also love this concept and I don't plan on writing several of them, so I'd better take real good care of this one, right? I really hope you guys will like it!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! They make me giddy and eager to write. :P I wasn't planning on starting this chapter until tomorrow, but your reviews motivated me to. xD The last took about four hours to write, I believe? I like to think it shows how much effort I've put into it. I also actually bothered to re-read it and correct it so it looked better (unlike the summary, I just noticed. It's fixed.), so yay. Here's chapter two. :3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter two: The ABCs of resistance

While Kakashi and Sakura made their way to the Hyuuga estate, the girl watched their environment. It was desolate. Many people were still out and about even though the sun was setting. Ever since Pein's destrusction, days started early and ended late so that reconstruction would be done as quickly as possible. They barely had enough housing even now. Many people were forced to be roomates. Luckily for her, her teammate was a jonin, so he had certain priviliges. Like access to immediate personal housing. His building had been one of the firsts to be built and consisted mainly of jonin and administrative workers of Konoha.

The neighborhood they were currently going through wasn't that lucky. It was a civilian part of the city that was being left to fend on its own for the moment. Several makeshift stands on the side of the street, in front of rubble they were still struggling to clear, served as the current supermarket. At the least food wasn't too scarce for the moment. People were stopping on the sidewalks to glare at the two ninjas casually striding through their streets. The pink-haired medic suddenly felt very self-conscious. Of course, they'd be blaming the shinobi for this disaster.

"Feel proud, Sakura. It is only thanks to us that they have food. We're the only ones who can still keep Konoha's economy going under such circumstances.", Kakashi told her quietly, looking straight ahead of him. For a second, she admired how easily he took pride in his work and didn't let anyone else question it. She nodded, smiling a little thanks to his encouragement.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence. Once they arrived of the gates of their destination, Sakura chanced a glance at her teacher. She felt a little out of place, here at the most renowned of Konoha's still living clans. He placed a hand on her back as he noticed her hesitation and pushed her inside with him. The huge front doors had been left open so that guests could come in freely. He could see several people ahead of them being guided towards the main event.

As soon as they set foot in the house, a maid bowed to them and greeted them.

"Hello, welcome to the Hyuuga's annual formal dinner. Please let me lead you to the vestibule.", the elegant woman offered. She was dressed in a traditional kimono that seemed very heavy to Sakura. It was a wonder to her how the woman could still be so graceful while wearing such a thing. She felt a shift around and whipped her head behind her, hand at her kunai already.

"Who cast this genjutsu?", she bit out immediately. Were they under attack? Had Danzo found out what Shikamaru wanted to tell them and he was about to execute them as he had threatened this afternoon? The Copy Nin mimicked her reaction, though he was still amazed at the speed at which she had detected the illusion that hid them from prying eyes.

"Don't worry! It's me, Ino. I had to use my jutsu to control this girl. Shikamaru's shadow technique wouldn't go that far. Kurenai cast the genjutsu to make sure this meeting would stay secret. An illusion of us will be attending the party, so that will be our alibi.", their guide explained, changing attitude drastically. Where had Ino learned to move like that? The question nagged at the kunoichi, but she would ask about it later. Looks like this really was serious if Shikamaru felt the need to use such caution.

They continued down several halls until they reached a secret passage behind one of the walls. After that, it wasn't long before they were reuinted with their friends. Everyone she expected to be there was. Basically, the rookie nine, the rest of their teams and the immediate family of some. They seemed to be the last to be there. Like that was a surprise when you were following Kakashi.

"Now that everyone is here... Let me explain the reason of this meeting.", the younger Nara started. "I have come across comprimising information on Danzo's plans, to say the least. First and most important, Naruto will be heavily targeted. Danzo intends to frame him for treason. The plan is already in motion, and there is nothing that we can do to stop it at my knowledge.", he continued, his eyes shifting to his feet in slight discomfort. He was a great leader, but he hated all the attention. So troublesome.

"Three days from now, Sasuke Uchiha will attack this village. Naruto will be on guard duty at the main gates, where he's expected to come in from. His plan is to announce to Naruto willingly did let him through because he's aware that you recently learned the Fourth was your father.", he said, nodding to the blonde who pumped his fist in the air.

"And what does it have to do with him, huh!", he shouted, half growing, his eyes angrier than Sakura had ever seen.

"Because the Fourth was the one to seal the Kyuubi in you. He'll use that against you. He'll make everyone believe that you blame your father for your fate and all that you've suffered before, thus you'll want to destroy everything that's hurt you, not unlike Sasuke. You'll let him in for that reason. Root agents will claim that you attacked them before escaping with the Uchiha.", he added, finishing with a sigh.

"But, people were just starting to acknowledge me, because I defeated Pein...", he let out, his hyper attitude faltering. The pink-haired girl couldn't help but feel a pinch of pain for her friend. It was one of the things that was dearest to him and Danzo was taking it away so easily. It wasn't fair.

"I know. I'm sorry, Naruto. I need to continue. Since he'll turn all of the nations against you, he knows you'll go to Suna to get help from Gaara. That is when he will severe any ties with them. I don't know much else about that plan, but it's plenty of information to prepare us.", Shikamaru shifted from one foot to the other. "The other thing is about root. Our precious Hokage will use them to gain complete control over Konoha. Over us. That way he will be able to do whatever he wants with this city. It will start with the demotion of several chuunin. This will result in a severe drop in our political weight. Votes won't be fair anymore. The second part is the new evaluation of genin. A quarter of them will be sent to root and quickly promoted to chuunin to further increase their power and ranks. This will push most missions root's way. From there, I know that Danzo will manipulate missions to gain a certain position amongst the other shinobi nations, but I don't know for what goal.", he finished, taking a deep breath and a swig of his cigarette.

Everyone just stood there for a moment, stunned. His plans went much farther than anyone had first thought. Everyone was shocked. Why was Sasuke coming to attack them? How had Danzo lured him? Why was he doing all of this? These were only a few questions that everyone was asking themselves.

"H-How did he get Sasuke to come here?", Sakura asked, staring at the floor. It had been a while since she had seen him. It hadn't been very pleasant since he'd tried to kill her.

"We were unable to find out. I believe he has something that Sasuke is looking for right now.", was all that Shikamaru was able to give her as answer. Whispers began coursing through the room, all of them inintelligible to the girl. Her lips were quivering. What was happening to her beloved city? She wished Tsunade could just wake up right then. Heck, maybe she'd have been better off letting everyone die to save them from this.

She quickly mentally slapped herself for that thought. That was even stupider. Nearly all of their military force would have been decimated then. Even Kakashi would be gone... On his side, the sharingan ninja wasn't taking the news any better, instead focusing on absorbing the new information and finding a way out.

Once the room had quieted down, Shikaku spoke up, taking his son's place. "Okay, now that Shikamaru's got all the details cleared, on with the plan. On the night where we will be attacked, we need to desert. We can't allow our Hokage to be corrupted and keep us in the dark like this. Some of us will need to form a resistance circle outside the village and try to clear Naruto's reputation as well as make Danzo's ways public so that we can force him to step down.", he spoke, his voice much lower and intense than his son's.

Sakura swallowed hard at this. Becoming a missing-nin hadn't been a part of her plans, except when she was pining for the Uchiha. She looked up to meet Kakashi's gaze, who was obviously measuring her reaction. His eye softened a little, just enough for only her to notice as he took in her near-panic state. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I'll stay with you and protect you no matter what. I promised I would, didn't I?", he whispered to her, forcing himself to crinkle his eye to reassure her. It seemed to work a little because her breathing evened and she stepped just a little closer to him.

"We won't force anyone into this. Everyone can choose their side. We need people we can count on on the inside anyways. Me and Shikamaru will stay here, for a fact. His intelligence will be invaluable when it will come to contacting each other.", the father added, then waited for everyone to state their position.

Kurenai would stay. It was impossible for her to go with her baby to come. She would slow them down. Choji stayed back as well, though it wasn't unexpected. Him and the Nara boy were inseperable. Sai also didn't have a choice, since he was a root agent and would be much more valuable on the inside. Kiba and his family stayed back as well, preferring to help on the inside. Ino and her father, much to Sakura's surprise, were willing to leave. They were quickly followed by Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Gai, Shino and his father. Even Genma. The young girl's eyes darted across the room quickly, examining everyone. So many of her friends were going to be declared missing nins in four days at the most.

She looked up at Kakashi, expecting him to answer for them, for some reason. Maybe she was just used to following his lead. Probably too used to it. He looked down back at her, watching her intently for nearly a whole minute. They were the only ones who hadn't answered yet. He was considering her safety first. Which environment would be better for her, he wondered. He could hardly see this frail girl survive easily while constantly on the run. In an innocent and naive attempt to keep her away from all of this mess, to keep her eyes shielded from all the awful things going on in the world, he gave his answer.

They would stay in Konoha. The two Nara men continued on with their plan. On the night of the Uchiha's attack, their group would use the distraction of everyone to slip out of the village unnoticed. That would delay the hunter nins, at the least. Naruto would go with them since he risked execution if he stayed. They would move in three-man teams a small distance away from each other to make it harder to get noticed. Naruto's team would head straight to the Kazekage for help, while the other two would roam around until his return. Their means of communication would be Neji for the moment. Once a day when the sun was as its peak, he would use the byakugan to see if one of their friends at a the meeting spot, if so the Inuzuka family was to send a dog to retrieve the message, protected by one of Kurenai's genjutsu.

It all seemed fine and well planned, but everyone was already thinking of any complications that could happen and the for the rest of their evening sharing survival tips and discussing anything that could be useful. The last few minutes they had was spent hugging and cheering each other up since this might be the last time they'd be able to see their friends for several months. They left the same way they came in, needing to time their leave so it was in tune with their illusion selves and so that nothing could be suspected.

As soon as they were back home, Sakura threw herself at Kakashi, fighting back tears. She squeezed him a little too tight, but the man couldn't bring himself to push her away, he didn't have the heart to. He didn't know how to react though. People never dared to hug him. He hesistantly wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder, gripping it a little.

"It's going to be okay. Don't let it get to you like this.", he tried to comfort her, but he could feel her body tremble and he knew that the tears were about to spill. Kami, what was he supposed to do? Everybody knew he was not the one that anyone should go to when they need comfort, but he was the only one she had right now. Sakura's mind was reeling, finally hit by the reality of the whole situation, that everything was about to going downhill very quickly.

That Sasuke was about to attack this town. That her best friend was about to be declared a traitor. That their Hokage was a corrupt warlord who would destroy everything that they had worked so hard for. She was powerless against it all. A sob wrecked her body as several tears spilled from her eyes onto his jacket.

The jonin looked down at her helpless, groaning on the inside. He hurt for her, really. He just didn't have any idea what to with a crying girl. He held her with both his arms, hushing her as she broke down in several sobs. He rubbed her back up and down tenderly as she cried, and he let her. It seemed like the best took her a good half an hour before calming down. He took the opportunity to lead her to her bedroom, coaxing her towards the bed. She sat down on it obediently and he immediately turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.", she let out softly. She truly was thankful that he was there for her. She didn't dare to think about what her situation would be like right now if he hadn't offered her to live with him.

"It's okay, Sakura. I told you I would be there for you.", he responded just as softly, turning back half way to look at her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, he could see the tears' trails on her cheeks and it broke his heart a little. He wished his team didn't have to go through something so harsh. They were still young. This reminded him too much of the war he had participated in, around their age. It was an atrocious part of his life, one he forced himself to forget most of the time.

She hesitated a long time before letting go of his hand. She wished he'd stay a little longer, lull her to sleep like her mother sometimes did. Once she had let go, his hand brushed her shoulder before giving it a firm grope before he left the room, muttering a low "good night".

The night was filled with vivid nightmares of each and every of her friends being tortured before they were executed by Danzo himself. She awoke with a start, eyes wide and skin slick with sweat. She felt hands on her shoulders. The light that the window above the side of her bed illuminated the man above her, though not enough for her to recognize him in her panic. She pushed him away with all her might, screaming in horror.

"Ugh, Sakura! It's me!", her attacker ground out as he hit the wall, stumbling a little before he regained his composure and hesitating to approach her again.

Sakura's head shot up as she recognized Kakashi's voice. She was panting like she had run to Suna and back. "S-Sensei?", she called hesitantly, finally seeing him. She looked away as she noticed he was only wearing sweats and his goddamn mask.

"Yes, it's me. Calm down, please.", he replied, sitting down on the bed besides her. His hands came up to cup her cheeks but his stopped mid-way, unsure of what he should actually do with his hands. They hesitated before settling for her shoulders. The girl turned her back to him slowly, trying to ignore the fact that he was half-naked. She saw naked men all the time, but not her teacher. This wasn't normal. She pushed that aside and took a deep breath, trying to do as he asked.

"What happened?", he whispered, leveling his eyes with hers. He knew far too well what nightmares were like. He still had them occasionally, seeing Obito, Minato and Rin die all over again several times, sometimes they were about his current team as well.

"Y-You... and... and all the others, you were b-beign... tortured and killed.", she breathed out, hiccuping several times throughout her short sentence. He nodded, too well acquainted with this sort of nightmares to ask any questions. She lifted her arms slowly, unsure of herself, and opened them for a hug. The jonin indulged her, just this time, he told himself. He held her tightly against him while she calmed herself down.

He needed to get her to sleep. It was the only way he could feel okay with himself leaving her and for her to feel okay. He laid down slowly, pulling the covers over them. "It's okay, Sakura. It is. I'm staying here.", he reassured, holding her close to him with one arm while the other rubbed her back through her pajamas. She smelled sweet, he noted. She must have changed soap or shampoo because it wasn't her usual scent. This felt like watermelon instead of strawberries.

"Okay.", she answered, forcing her voice to be even. Now she was realizing how she was behaving and was almost more aggravated by this than her nightmare. This was real, dreams weren't. Goddamn it, she didn't want to be a cry baby anymore! She just couldn't help it. The fact that half of her friends, her closest ones, were about to become missing nin while a despotic Hokage was in charge frightened her. What if one of them was to be executed in front of her and she could do nothing to help?

As if he could feel the rise of panic in her, he hushed her again, placing his head against hers, his chin touching the top of her head. He felt so out of place right now. This was why he didn't let people close to him. He didn't want to have to live through his bad moments, as well as others'. It was selfish, but he wasn't sure he would be able to deal with it without getting everyone against him. "Think of nice things, Sakura. Think of that time you guys used Icha Icha against me.", he whispered against her ear.

He smirked when he heard her snicker, just a little. Barely audible. There, good job, he praised himself. Now to get her to sleep. Her small hands placed themselves relucantly on his chest. They were going numb under he thighs. She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't scold her or something. He didn't seem to mind though, because he didn't say a word. She blushed brightly, happy he couldn't see it in the dark. She had never been this close to a man before. She hadn't even been kissed yet, so this was completely foreign to her.

"I can help if you can't go back to sleep...", he murmured, pulling back a little to watch her face. Her eyes widened in shock, then a scowl appeared on her face, making her sudden anger clear.

"What! You pervert, get out of my bed!", she growled out, trying to push him off the bed. The older man almost laughed out loud at her misinterpretation and weak struggle, but instead he grabbed her wrist and placed himself above her, pinning them above her head.

"Hey, calm down, girl. I was merely offering to put you to sleep with my sharingan.", he clarified, only letting go and regained his place at her side once he felt no more struggle from her part. Her cheeks were set aflame once she heard him, finding herself a little stupid for believing that he would be proprositioning her at such a moment. Yes, Kakashi read porn in public, but in the end she ha never heard of him doing anything remotely perverted.

"Oh. I'm sorry.", she answered sheepishly. He shrugged his shoulders, not content with letting her get away with her assault so easily but not wanting to snap at her either. He smiled back when he saw her little grin fade, his eye crinkling. "Don't worry about it.", he reassured. So much for not letting her get away it too easily. "So, do you need help or not?", he asked again, looking straight in her eyes. It made her a little uneasy.

"Can you really do that?", she whispered. She didn't know all that much about the sharingan to tell the truth. She felt it might be more of a curse than an advantage. Everyone that had one met an awful death, it seemed. The whole Uchiha clan to start with, then Itachi. Soon maybe, Sasuke. Kakashi's time was hopefully not any time soon. She needed him very badly right now. His answer was a simple nod, which she returned to let him know she acknowledged it.

"O-Okay.", she replied hesitantly. She was a bit afraid. It wasn't natural to her to let the sharingan be used on her, but she honestly didn't know how else she possibly could go to sleep after the nightmare and... this. "Alrighty then.", he let out, smirking under his mask. He currently wasn't wearing his headband, so he just had to let his eye slide open. "Look at me.", he ordered.

She obeyed quickly. She watched intently as the tomoe started spinning lazily, slowly increasing in speed. After several seconds, she spoke up. "How long is this going to take? I might fall asleep before you can do anything.", she scolded. He huffed. "Shut up, I might end up making you paralyzed if you distract me.", he threatened back. In truth, he was purposely taking his time to annoy her. It was only a few seconds more before her head hit the pillow and she was unconscious. He stepped out of her bed, pressing a hand to his left eye.

He stopped by the bathroom to reresh himself. He splashed some water across his face to soothe his sharingan a little. It felt under pressure right now. It was uncomfortable to say in the least, but at least his favorite student was sleeping peacefully now. He walked slowly to the kitchen to grab the half of an orange he had left there that morning. He felt up for a middle of te night snack. Leaning against the counter, he tore a slice from it, slid down his mask and pushed it in his chewed quickly, not taking the time to savor his precious fruit. These things cost a fortune, really, but he loved them too much to give them up.

Once he was done with it, he went back to bed. He wasn't sure if he was going to get any more sleep tonight. For once, it wasn't his own nightmares keeping up but his student. He chuckled out loud at how dirty that seemed. He had to admit his offer to the small girl in the other room must've sounded quite bad to her. He just wished she didn't constantly throw fits like this. He loved the peace of his home and now she was already disrupting it big time on the first day and night. What would the week be like?

He woke the next day to the sound of something sizzling in the kitchen. A quick sniff told him what he heard was eggs being fried. He got out of bed quickly, completely forgetting to put a shirt on before he opened the door. He had lived alone since the age of thirteen. That was the last time he'd had to be careful about his decency in his own home. He moved to the kitchen sluggishly, his muscles screaming at the lack of sleep.

"Morning.", he ground out as he dropped his poor body in a chair facing her.

"Morning. I cook-, oh Kakashi-sensei. Maybe you should dress a little more?", she asked, a bright blush spreading across her cute cheeks. It was funny to see her so flustered just because he wasn't wearing a shirt. What did it matter to her? She saw naked people on a daily basis.

"No, I'm fine like this, thank are you cooking?", he replied evenly. His dogs had explained to him that a pack leader never listened to its pack and only himself. The change in subject was just so that she wouldn't question what little authority he still held over her and Naruto. He could tell it made her midly uncomfortable, but she'd just have to deal with it. At least he wasn't prancing around with mini-Kakashi hanging out.

"Um, eggs and toast. Nothing much.", she answered, taking out plates from the cupboard and setting the food in it. She handed Kakashi his own along with a fork.

"Mm, my favorite.", he commented, crinkling his eye happily. It wasn't really, but he figured that if he complimented her enough on her cooking, she would do most of it for both of them. Maybe even clean the dishes. She smile brightly at him, losing no time to start on her breakfast. Seems like she was quite hungry today.

"You know, since I had the generosity to offer you my home as shelter, shouldn't we talk about how you're going to pay me back?", he asked, mischief thick in his voice but his eye stayed as impassive as ever.

"What? You can't do that!", she growled back, planting her fork in the table. He stared at it for a second. His poor table.

"Of course I can, I had no obligation to do this.", he replied apathetically.

"Fine, what do you have in mind?", she spit back, crossing her arms over her chest. He was surprised that she let it go so easily, but he assumed that she actually felt a little guilty about taking up his personal space.

"Oh, nothing much. Maybe you could play house maid for me?", he let out, his eye now holding a playful sparkle.

"I guess I can do that. Want me to wear a little costume as well?", she replied, her voice all too sweet at the end.

"Hmm, I would contemplate it, but my little angel tells me I wouldn't go to paradise if I was to force my student to go around the house in a skimpy costume while I admire her.", he shot back, smirk visible through his mask.

"I thought I was your little angel.", she replied, a pout on her lips.

He chuckled. "No, you're the devil.", he threw back, bracing himself for whatever attack she would launch at him.

"You're a jerk! I'm always helping you out and healing you whenever you need it!", she nearly shouted back at him, but she stayed in place, looking away from him. Hm, maybe she had taken this too seriously.

"I don't see what you're complaining about. The angel is the quiet and boring one. The devil is the hot, exciting thing you can't help but listen to.", he offered, lifting an eyebrow while he waited for her answer.

"Are you saying you feel prone to bend to my every will?", she asked carefully, a wide smirk on her face. Ah, how easy it was to make her change her mood. Both a good and bad thing, in the end.

"Not, not at all. I was blessed at birth and I'm wise enough to make my own decisions.", he let out before grabbing his plate, turning around and swallowing it all in one go.

He could tell Sakura was burning holes in the back of his head with her glare, but at least she was in a somewhat neutral mood. With a good breakfast in his stomach, he could now get started with his day.

A/N: Yay, some cute KakaSaku! I like making them interact together like this. It's innocent enough so I can see this happening without too much trouble should the situation be appropriate. Anyway. I love reviiews, please don't hesitate to leave one! :P Sorry for any typos, I really don't feel like going back through five thousand words right now, but it shouldn't be too bad.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so it gets a little more complicated from here on... Oh, I forgot to say. I really hope I'm not messing up the chronology. Naruto DID learn about his father around Pein's fight, right? I had trouble coming up with a reason to get Naruto framed already so I hope it's accurate. xD How the hell do you demonize that boy? He's barely just saved Konoha. I was also hesitating what to do with this chapter, but I decided to make it about how awkward it is to suddenly have to share an appartment instead of jumping into the action! (I'm scared! :D) Also a little note, I've read that in Japan, people take baths, using the same water for everyone in the house. Guests first. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not going to be totally pinpoint on everything Japan-wise, but I'd like to add a few details that I find interesting about its culture and the little I know of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter three: House breaking

Sakura was amazed at how Kakashi could seemingly ignore what had happened during the night and act totally normal towards her. Okay, a little perverted, but normal. As dealt over breakfast, she washed the dishes and cleaned whatever mess she might have made. When he had been done eating, he had retreated to his bedroom, for some light reading he'd said. She yawned widely as she made her way to the bathroom, deciding that a bath would do her good.

While the hot water ran, she undressed and folded her pajamas before depositing them at the bottom of the hamper. She didn't feel quite right being naked in her teacher's home. It felt like when she'd pick up a newspaper, it would have a scandal on the first page involving her and Kakashi. She huffed at the thought and grinned. Nothing of the sort would happen. If he tried something on her, she would break both of his legs and let him crawl to the hospital by himself. Though, she had to admit that she entirely trusted him.

Once the bath was full, she stopped the water and slipped in, sighing at the soothing feeling of the water. She just sat in the bath for a few minutes to enjoy the hot water before she grabbed the bottle of shampoo she had brought with her. She had switched to the watermelon scent because the store had run out of the strawberry one. Hopefully Pakkun wouldnt be too disappointed, she joked to herself. She lathered it carefully over her hair, closing her eyes to make sure none would get in them.

"Sakura.", she heard Kakashi's voice, low and threatening, call out as the door burst open. She shrieked, eyes wide open and arms flying to her chest as she balled up in the tub.

"Kakashi-sensei! Out! OUT!", she shouted, throwing all of his personal care items at him. He ducked to avoid several of them and stepping out, closing the door quickly. His eye stayed wide for a little. Okay. That had been very stupid. Of course she wouldn't be presentable while she was in the bathroom. Hm, he really needed to spend more time around people. Preferrably normal people.

"You placed the dishes wrong.", he scolded through the door. He waited patiently for her answer but she seemed to be ignoring him completely. He knocked a couple times on the door.

"If you don't answer me, I'm coming back in. It's not like I've never seen you like this when you were younger.", he threatened. It was true. What about their little vacation at the beach? Her swimsuit hadn't covered much. And he had been stuck to handling her this one time she passed out two years ago after a brutal fight. He'd had to change her out of blood-stained clothes so he could tend to her injuries. In his defense, he swore he had not actually taken a real look at her out of respect. It was true. He knew how sensitive she was on that subject, much more so than her other female friends, so he had been as innocent as possible about it as possible.

Either way, even just two years ago, she hadn't hadn't changed that much from her twelve years-old self. It was during the next two years that she seemed to have really matured. She was quite a bit taller, with slim legs, a flat stomach, and he had noticed a couple of times when she was in dresses, on outing that Ino seemed to drag her to, that her hips had now quite the nice curve. She was definitely nice on the eyes, but he had trouble seeing her as anything else than the child she had been when she had first been put in his care.

"That's not true!", she shouted back, though he could clearly hear the doubt in her mind. He grinned. If she was going to give him trouble on this, then he would make her suffer. He didn't have to stay innocent and spare her feelings forever now, did he?

"Oh, it's very true. Remember that mission two years ago? Where you passed out after punching the brains out of three ninja? Well, I obviously had to take care of you. I changed you and tended to your wounds as any good teammate would. I was even nice enough to not comment on...", he let his sentence hang there, because he knew the girl would react.

"No! You did not!", she lied. She knew it was true. She just hated the thought of being undressed in her sleep by someone else. She had been really glad that he'd never spoken of it, but now she was just extremely embarrassed.

"Hey, let me finish, on the fact that you had not changed at all since you were a kid. It was funny really, because I know your friend Ino had already changed quite a bit.", he added, holding in a snicker. She was also jealous of how much earlier Ino had grown bigger and more womanly. He heard some water slosh around, indicating that she was moving. He stepped back from the door, expecting her fist to break through. The door opened to show Sakura frowning and pouting, holding her towel tightly to herself.

"You're an asshole, Kakashi-sensei.", she ground out before moving past him and quickly hiding in her room. He hesitated for a second, wondering if he had gone too far. Kami, this girl's emotions were easy to push back and forth, but it was hard to know what crossed a line and what didn't with her. He leaned on the wall besides her door for a minute before speaking up.

"Sakura?", he called out, looking towards the door.

"What?", she replied several seconds later.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, if that's what I did.", he apologized, frowning as he waited for her answer.

"Yeah, right. You said I still looked like a child. No wonder no one's interested in me!", she spit back. He could tell she was closer to the door.

"I didn't say that. I said that's what you still looked like at fourteen. Now you're... different.", he let out, weighing his words carefully.

"...What do you mean?", she asked softly, not sure she wanted to hear about what a tomboy she had turned out to be and that boys her age would never consider anything else than one of them. The jonin's head fell a little at this. This was a trap. What could he say to make her feel better and not get her to hit him for checking her out? Heck, it was completely innocent. It's not like he replaced the Icha Icha heroines with her.

"Well, you've grown, to say the least.", he replied, purposely vague.

"Explain.", she ground out, obivously having none of that. He sighed. She wanted the crude truth? Fine.

"Alright then. You've grown noticably taller, which is pretty nice, you have slim, long legs, nice curves in your mid-section. You're still lacking in the top half section, but that has a charm of its own. Your lips have also filled out, it's cute.", he described how he saw her new appearance, though he surprised himself at the last detail. He hadn't even realized he'd noticed that one. The kunoichi on the other side of the wall quieted down. Good or bad, he wondered. She pulled the door open just a little and peeked at him, only poking her head out of her room.

"Have I?", she asked shyly, a bright blush on her cheeks.

"Yes.", he replied simply, his eyes crinkling. He wouldn't take too many risks with her in one day.

"Then why is no one attracted to me?", she let out softly, though she immediately retreated to her room to avoid his answer. He stared curiously at the door for a second. No one was? He hadn't seen her much lately, so he couldn't know. He would've bet his favorite kunai that she had quite a few pretendors though. Hm, beauty if in the eye of the beholder, he muttered to himself. Maybe he hadn't been around enough women lately to tell if she was really that good looking or if it was because she just fit his personal taste.

Either way, he just wanted to think about something else. This topic had gone a bit too far to his liking. He'd wait for her to dress, then change the subject to the one he had in mind when he interrupted her bath in the first place. At that very moment, he was thankful that he had no children. Boys he could deal with, you just had to rough them up a little and fight it out for it to be okay. Girls were too complicated. Plus, he didn't know if he'd be the overprotective father or the loose one. He couldn't imagine his reaction to a boy courting his daugther.

It wasn't long before Sakura came out of her room, hair still dripping wet. She was wearing a green summer dress. He guessed it fit the sunny day and warm temperature of today, but it was nonetheless unusual. What mess did he get himself into?

"Sakura, you misplaced the dishes.", he scolded quickly before she could say a word.

"What?", she let out, surprised. She looked up at him with a frown. She'd put them back where she'd picked them from. What was his problem?

"You have to-", he stopped as he opened the cupboard and pointing to the dishes. "placed them with the corner pointing at the walls, not the door.", he finished while replacing said dishes. Sakura stared at him like he had grown two heads.

"What?", he, in turn, asked.

"You're unbelievable. Wait until I tell Ino about this. Everyone will know the famous Copy Ninja is a neat freak!", she replied, not controlling her giggles.

"I am not a neat freak. It's my way of detecting intruders. Genma used to come in my appartment to check for spare condoms. I figured it out only because he didn't place things back the way I did.", he explained, frowning. Sakura was simply thrown in another fit of laughter. He sighed again. There went the last of his credibility and respect as a teacher.

The chuunin quieted down in a short amount of time, going to sit on one of his couches. She was a bit embarrassed by one thing he said. He kept condoms in his appartment? She had never thought about the man's sex life, that was just too weird, but she had always unconsciously assumed that he was asexual or something. Or book-sexual, if that existed. She felt like asking him the details, but refrained. That would just be creepy.

She stared at the wall for a little time, while he rearranged everything that she had touched. Now, she was bored. What could she do in his house? She could open the tv. Or get a book. It just felt like she needed to ask permission for everything. But Kakashi fixed the problem pretty quickly.

"You looked bored. How about we watch a movie?", he offered as he walked up behind her. He set his hands a distance away on each side of her head and looked down at her. She peeked up at him and gave him a smile.

"Yeah, I think that would be nice.", she replied. He gave a simple eye crinkle before moving to the tv. He pushed a movie he randomly picked in the player and sat casually on the same couch as her, though on the opposite end. He needed a little distraction himself, anyway.

"What did you pick?", she asked as she turned her head to him, ignoring the annoying introduction of every company that had worked on the movies.

"I didn't check. Surprise.", he let out, his usual aloof self back in place.

"Oh. What kind of movies do you like?", she questionned, tilting her head to the side curiously. She really didn't know much about the ninja's personnal life after all.

"Anything that piques my interest.", he replied cryptically. She punched his arm playfully, sitting next to him with her legs crossed, facing him.

"Answer me. Clearly. I want to know more about you, sensei.", she asked again, this time more serious. He looked at her. Why did she always have to be on his left side? Was it even on purpose? He rested his head on his fist, elbow comfortable on the arm rest.

"What does it matter? What movies do you like?", he continued, pushing the question on her instead. The truth was he just bought movies on a whim every now and then when a cover caught his attention. He hadn't watched more than half of them. He had to spend his money one way or another, there was already quite a bit just sitting around in his bank account.

"Me? Well, I like romantic comedies a lot.", she answered, eyes looking up in thought. She bit the bait so easily. Now the movie commercials were on. Why did they have to add so much useless content on the thing? It's not like it would push him to buy more. He didn't hear what Sakura said as she rambled on about whatever movie she had watched lately, instead he watched her.

She seemed quite into it, because she didn't comment on his eye roaming around. She mustn't have noticed. It quickly drifted to her crossed legs and slight peek he was getting at her pink underwear. She was clearly not used to wearing skirts or dresses, so much that she was forgetting to be careful. The dress fit her nicely, really. It hugged her everywhere it needed to. Red was also a good color for her, he noted.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you oggling me?", she finally asked, voice low in a threat.

"No, I was wondering how to tell you that you're giving me a private show of your panties.", he let out bluntly, eye moving back up to hers. She moved quickly, eyes wide in embarrassment as she straigthened her legs and moved back to her end of the couch. He crinkled his eye. What an effective way to get her out of his hair. They remained silent for the remainder of the movie. She was probably to shy to speak up now. It almost made him laugh.

She could be so harsh and domineering at times, but a well placed blow could immediately send her cowering and shut her up for a while. It was funny, really. The only drawback was that the opposite was also true. A misplaced word could get you in the hospital if she felt like it.

Sakura, on her side, was trying to focus on the movie, though her thoughts wandered a lot more towards her new roommate. It really interested her how he could be so blunt about sensitive topics and not react to inappropriate situations. Gai was right, she thought, he really is cool. It was hard to get along with him at times because she just wanted to punch him, but in the end, he was a steady person. She could always count on him, and he cheered her up as he could when he felt it as needed. Did he really think that she looked nice?

She took a second to admire him from the corner of her eyes. There wasn't much to be said about his appearance. He hadn't changed in the four years she'd known him. He was tall, always slouching and mysterious. She guessed that had to be attractive in some way, but she failed to see it. He was Kakashi-sensei. That was how she saw him. The rock that held her life together right now. A small, grateful smile touched her lips as she felt a rush of gratitude for the older nin. She scooted close to him and wrapped her arms around his, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He looked down at her in mild curiosity. Why was she cuddling him? He knew she frequently hugged Naruto in moments of happiness, even Sai every now and then, but never him. He liked to keep a distance between himself and people and she had always known it. He couldn't help a tiny smile from forming on his lips though. He knew that she wouldn't openly show his affection for him unless he had done something really nice to deserve it. Or to make her courageous enough to try to get past his barriers.

"What's up?", he asked, feeling a little daring today. She looked up at him slowly, as if trying to find the right words for what she wanted to say.

"I'm just glad that you're doing all of this for me.", she muttered quickly, looking down again in slight embarrassment. He chuckled and freed his arm from hers. She tried to flee but he held her shoulder and pulled her back to him, wrapping his arm comfortably around her shoulders. She turned a little towards him, leaning her head on his chest and letting on her legs lay on his slightly.

"Just watch the movie.", he said, not looking at her anymore. If she hadn't known him better, she would've thought he was just trying to shut her up so she wouldn't blabber anymore. She could tell it was his own way of saying it was alright, that he didn't mind and he'd be there for her. She was surprised he'd allowed her to so close to him, but she felt safe, in his arms. She knew for sure that he would protect her at any cost, and that was worth more than anything else in the world to her right at that moment.

Kakashi swallowed a little hard, uncomfortable to have her this close. To have anyone this close. He'd felt it, too. That little rush of affection, this voice that whispered to never give up on her and always be there for her. He just never acted on it usually, unlike her. Today was a special day, he thought. It had to be. She seemed to have him at her beck and call with all her little fits and display of emotions. He guessed it must've been because they were all alone that he allowed himself to return her displays of affection. In front of the boys, he'd have pushed her back with an eye crinkle, nonetheless reassuring her with words instead.

He groaned as he noticed what movie he'd chosen. It was the one where a teacher and his student slept together while a sick serial killer went about killing children. The summary had seemed interesting, really, but the actual movie was awful. He'd just have to deal with it now.

At the end, as expected, Sakura slipped away from his arms and glared at him. He knew it would happen. Luck was rarely on his side. She'd interpret his getting closer to her and the choice of movie as a way to try to show her that student-teacher relations were possible.

"That was an awful movie, Kakashi-sensei. Pick a better one next time.", she ground out, biting her lip at the end. He could tell she was embarrassed by the the blurry sex scenes there had been.

"I swear I picked it randomly. It was not on purpose.", he replied, holding his hands up in defense. He saw her grin as she got on her knees, inching closer to him.

"What, you think I believe you're trying to seduce me?", she purred, a sweet smile on her face. Her eyes were playful. What was she up to? Was she going to punch him in the privates as soon as he let his defence down?

"Of course not. I am completely innocent. As innocent as a puppy.", he answered, crinkling his eye nervously. He could definitely beat her in a fight. It would take effort now, but he still could. In situations like this, he felt uneasy about not being able to defend himself with every technique in his arsenal.

"I know, sensei.", she breathed out, barely above a whisper as she set her hands on each side of him, leaning over his body so that their faces were a little distance apart. He had moved back against the arm rest in an attempt to escape her, but now she had him trapped. Damn.

"Didn't you learn something from the movie? It's...", she bit her lip like the student in the movie had when first trying to seduce her teacher. She leaned her head to the side a little and he peeked down at her cleavage. The dress was hanging low and he could see that wasn't wearing a bra. Too many details. "The student who seduces the teacher. Don't you find me attractive, sensei?", she purred again. He cursed at himself mentally as he felt a small rush of sensation to his groin. How could she get to him so easily?

"As attractive as a rock.", he replied casually, his eye crinkling. He preffered to have a broken jaw than face his body's current reaction to the girl above him. To his surprise, she laughed whole heartedly and move away from him, a wide smile in place.

"It's good to know that my teacher won't give in so easily. If you did, I'd be scared you'd be a psychopath too.", she let out confidently. In the end, the teacher had been to freak to call people, impersonating a guy who called everyone for stupid surveys, asking them weird questions to make his life seem worse.

"You should have known better.", he commented, letting out a breath he'd been holding. He got up to go close the tv before moving to the kitchen. "Do you want a snack?", he asked over his shoulder as he opened the fridge. Anything to change the subject. But he was really glad she hadn't reacted violently for once. He was getting the hang of this.

"Do you have strawberries?", she answered, a little excitement in her voice. He rummaged through his fridge for a few seconds before finding them. A full container, good.

"Yes, I do.", he replied enthusiastically as he joined in the living room again. She smiled widely, one arm reaching for the container but he lifted it out of her reach quickly.

"Say please.", he teased, eye crinkling.

"Please.", she growled, getting impatient. She was on her knees, leaning against the top of the couch and eyeing the strawberries dangerously.

"Pretty please, sensei.", he continued, testing his luck with her. Maybe she now liked him enough to let him get away with anything, who knew.

"Please, sensei. I want strawberries, I'll do anything you ask me.", she nearly whined, a pout and innocent look on her face. He could feel fakeness emanating from her.

"Well, if you ask so nicely.", he answered, picking a strawberry and bring it to her lips, nudging them. "Say 'ah'.", he teased, testing her limits. How far would she let him go? She obeyed again, letting out a cut 'aah' as she opened her mouth a little too wide. He put the tip of the strawberry against her bottom and let her take a bite of it. He cursed out loud when she didn't forget to bite his finger at the same time, devilish grin on her face and eyes full of mischief as she watched him shake his fingers.

"I see you've realized that subtlety suits a ninja better than rage fits. I'm proud of you, Sakura.", he teased again, hoping this wouldn't result in broken bones.

"I can be when I want to be. It's just more sastisfying to go and punch people who annoy me.", she replied, turning away from him.

"Hm, I see. Here, your strawberries. You earned them.", he let out, depositing the container on her lap before he returned to the kitchen to get his own snack. An orange. Mmm.

He sat on the couch with her again and they enjoyed their snacks in comfortable silence. For a second, he wondered what it woul be like to live with Naruto. The thought immediately made him shiver. He could already see his appartment upside down, the cupboards filled with ramen and a bunch of dirty dishes everywhere. No. Sakura was a better option. Not that he'd ever be forced to share an appartment with on of the boys, but Sakura was nonetheless the neatiest and least creepy, in the end. She just needed to change her gender and he'd have a decent roommate, he assumed.

"Do you have any missions soon?", she question half way through a bite of her fruit.

"No. Danzo cancelled my missions for the upcoming month. I'm on guard duty, afternoon shifts.", he replied casually while retrieving a slice of his orange.

"I see. I don't have any either. He even took me off hospital duty for a week. I don't know what to do.", she shot back, obviously wondering what the hell she would be doing. Ninja weren't good with vacations.

"I'm sure there's plenty of laundry left to do to keep you busy a whole week here.", he teased, chewing on his orange. He was able to slip them in his mouth from above his mask. He was so annoying.

"Why don't you just take it off?", she growled. It must've been a pain to him too. She was going to be around for too long for him to keep this up.

"Hm, I'll think about it tonight.", he said after he'd swallowed the last of his citrus. She nodded quietly, hoping for a yes, as she got up to put the remainder of the strawberries back in the fruit.

"I have many books. You should check them out, maybe you'll find something interesting.", he threw over his shoulder as he glanced at her.

"I'll check. I really need something to keep me busy.", she answered. He knew the feeling. Tsunade had forced him several times to bed rest for weeks on end when he was too gravely injured. He had really tried to convince her that he was okay, but his limping had convinced her otherwise it seemed. He glared down at his once injuried leg, mentally calling it a traitor.

She walked past him and checked his bookcase, her finger trailing over every book, sometimes hovering over one for a little while. It finally stopped and grabbed one after a couple of minutes. It was his father's favorite novel. It was precious to him, but he was sure she would take good care of it.

"That's my favorite, other than Icha Icha.", he let out carefully. He didn't like sharing his past with people.

"Really? I honestly didn't think you read anything else.", she commented, while going through the book quickly.

"I think it's inappropriate to read fantasy in public.", he joked flatly. She chuckled.

"Of course.", came her simple reply. He was the only one who could come up with such silly things to say but they made her laugh. It was like his late excuses. She still screamed liar along with Naruto whenever they heard him say one, but on the inside she enjoyed them. It was the remants of inner Sakura manifesting themselves. "I'll borrow this one, then.", she said finally, closing the book with a small noise and dropping in the couch besides him.

The rest of the day was rather long for both of the ninjas. Usually, they would relax in their own ways on days off, but the stress from all that was happening kept them from doing so, as well as their forced living state. Kakashi liked to take a bath, nap, and then find some comfortable tree to read Icha Icha in. Thing was, he didn't feel like leaving his precious appartment to Sakura yet. He didn't know what she could do while he wasn't there. What if she reorganized everything to her liking andd then he'd be completely lost in his own home? That would be awful, right?

A/N: The movie was the one with Kat Dennings. I don't know the name in English. I just found it stupid, overall. I watched it yesterday while writing chapter two so that's why it came up. Well, half watched. It was on tv and I need backgroud noise at all times.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: We're at the part where Sasuke comes in the city now. I hope I won't fail this miserably. The plot is setting in now. O: Also, adding some quirks to Kakashi last chapter made me crack up. I can really imagine him being a freak when it comes to certain details of his home, when he's not napping in his bedroom, reading Icha Icha or simply staring at a wall. Side note: Sasuke hasn't tried to kill Sakura yet. This is later in the manga.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter four: Day 1

It was seven. In half an hour, Naruto would leave his post and make a run for Suna. Sasuke would appear. In Konoha. How long had it been since he'd last been in Konoha? A little over four years, Sakura silently noted. She wondered if she would even see him. Kakashi hadn't told her what they would be doing yet. He'd refused to. In the end, she guessed it was better since she'd be constantly fretting over and questionning him if he had. Would they fight? She was brought out of her thoughts when her friend placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time to go, Sakura.", he spoke softly. This mustn't be easy on him either. They hadn't seen him in almost three years now.

"Okay.", she let out weakly, standing up slowly from the couch.

"We'll walk through town as if we're going to pick up dinner at Ichiraku's. It seems Sasuke will attack the Hokage tower, we'll try to be there to stop him.", he said evenly. He always was most impassible when things were about to go wrong. This made the kunoichi a little more nervous.

"Can we fight him?", she asked, looking up at him with half-closed eyes. "I mean, are we able to? How strong is he now?"

"You might want to stay back.", he replied, not wanting to give anything away. He couldn't allow her to be harmed. Not by him. He truly didn't know what to he hadn't been sure that she wouldn't destroy half the city if she locked her up with the Naras, he would have.

The walk to Ichiraku's was grim. Neither wanted to speak or look at each other. They looked ahead, feigning indifference. Bypassers would feel like they'd argued, which wasn't uncommon amongst Team 7. Kakashi ordered their dinner, he even paid. Kami, hell must be about to break loose if he was paying, she thought. They ate their noodles in silence, ears perked for their signal. Probably screaming or a big boom.

And it came. In the sound of a thousand birds. Chidori. He wasn't very far. About three hundred meters away from them. Sakura looked up hesitantly at her sensei and he nodded. They both jumped from their seats and ran. It was barely a minute before they were at the Hokage tower. They landed on the closest roof and observed the scene. Sasuke was down there, staring up at them. He was surrounded by several dead chuunin that had been guarding the entrance. Her heart clenched painfully at the scene. Had he really become so cruel?

It didn't long before Sasuke joined them on the roof, immediately throwing a fire ball jutsu at them. Sakura had been too shocked to react, luckily for her, Kakashi had grabbed her and jumped out of the way just in time. He didn't hesitate to let go of her and launch himself at the Uchiha, uncovering his sharingan and raikiri quickly ready in his palm. The girl stared in shock. Get a grip, she mentally yelled at herself. She stayed back nonetheless, taking Kakashi's advice.

Sasuke easily avoided his attack. His gaze shifted to Sakura and he smirked. He ran towards her, ignoring his current opponent and going for what he assumed was the easy prey. Her eyes widened as she realized she was his target and poised herself for battle.

"Sasuke!", the jonin growled. "I'm your opponent!"

He was ignored again. He cursed under his breath and prepared for an earth wall jutsu, but he was too slow. Sasuke would reach her before the wall appeared. Sakura bit her lip as she growled and punched the roof they were standing on with all her might.

"You are not!", she shouted as the roof crumbled to bits in front of her and Sasuke went down with the rubble, surprised by her new ability. He was back up a second later and swiped with his kunai several times, though Sakura evaded all of his, even if narrowly. He growled in frustration, obviously not having expected the girl to be any stronger than she once had been. By this time, Kakashi was back near Sasuke and he threw several shurikens his way. Sasuke jumped back quickly, only one blade grazing his arm.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?", Sakura spat out, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Simply avenging my clan, dear Sakura. You are so blind as to what has been going on in your precious Konoha. Danzo is only what it deserved. It's too bad I must kill him.", he answered, finishing with a maniacal laugh that made the girl cringe.

"But you can't. W-What about us? Team 7? You can always come back, we miss you so much...", she ground out, head dropping low.

"You were nothing to me. You're just too stubborn and stupid to understand it. You're too weak. You need proof? I'll kill Kakashi right here and now.", he continued, his sharingan spinning wildly. He launched himself at Kakashi, engaging him in a close-range fight. The girl watched in disbelief, unable to believe how cold he had become.

The fight was about even, he noted on a sad tone. The boy had grown strong, but not under his tutelage. He was disappointed, but not only in his ex-student. Also in himself. How could he had let him turn out like this? One of Sasuke's hits finally landed, jabbing him the abdomen. He grunted in pain and stumbled back a little before regaining his composure.

Shit. She had to do something. At this rate, Kakashi would either bleed out or be killed by Sasuke. She threw a kunai at his right, missing on purpose so that the poisoned senbons she sent next had a chance of hitting. She'd aimed where she'd hoped he'd avoid. She was right. Two hit him the in back. She quickly calculated that such a dose of the paralyzer would actually only slow him down about five minutes. The look he gave her as he turned around to face her was terrifying. She tensed but didn't budge, waiting for him to come to her.

He was going for her again. He was fast. The poison would start acting in thirty seconds. She jumped back to avoid his kunai and aimed at chakra-enhanced kick to his head. In a split-second, his large hand was around his ankle, stopping with a little trouble. His other was quick to follow, but instead grabbing the top of her shin. She tried to break free but his hold was too strong and he was too fast. He twisted her ankle as far as he could, making the poor girl let out a yelp of pain. He didn't hesitate to then hit her shin hard enough to break the bone. She screamed in agony. This was her first serious injury. This was the first time she had felt such intense pain. Her view was blurred as she felt to the ground, unable to move for a little.

Kakashi watched powerless as Sasuke broke her leg. He'd sprinted towards them as soon as he could, but it seemed the Uchiha's blade had been poisonned and he could feel his body get heavy and he was considerably slowed. He couldn't make it in time to avoid her any wounds.

"Sasuke, don't you dare do this!", he shouted as the boy got to his knees, kunai in hand, pressing it against her throat. He threw three shuriken at him, but he let them hit, he didn't even try to avoid them. They hit one of his thighs, his bicep and forearm. He would be slowed, but not enough... He closed his eyes in despair. He couldn't watch. He couldn't lose someone else.

He reopened them in shock as he heard several people land around them. The ANBU. They were finally there. He turned his head back to Sasuke. He scoffed and jumped off the roof, running away. They immediately followed him. He let out a shaky breath, relieved. She was still alive. He thanked Kami countless times as he stumbled towards her.

"Sakura.", he called out as he he reached her. "Sakura, are you okay?"

Her only answer was a moan of pain. He looked down at her leg. Her leg was in a horrible state. Even with her great healing skills, she probably wouldn't be up and running for a good couple of months. He sat behind her, pulling her head in his lap. He stroked her hair carefully.

"It's okay, Sakura. He's gone. You need to heal yourself.", he let out softly, trying to help her sit up. He leaned her against his between his knees, using them to keep her steady. She nodded and observed her left leg for a little before lowering her palms to it. She grunted as she worked. He knew how painful bone reforming was. He'd gone through it several times.

"Do you need me to get someone?", he asked, unsure of what to do to help her.

"N-No, it's okay. I just need a little time.", she ground out, closing her eyes both in pain and focus. After a few minutes, she'd put everything back in the right place and closed any open wounds. She turned her head to look at him.

"Let me take a look at your wound...", she whispered, distancing herself from him so she could do it. He lifted his jacket and shirt, showing the ugly injury to her. He had gone deeper than he'd thought. Blood was still pouring from it.

"Shit, Kakashi-sensei... That's a bad one.", she growled, ghosting her hand over it before they started glowing. He stayed still as she healed him. He always did. He was her best patient in that respect. Most male ninja had too much pride to whine and complain while she healed them, but that didn't stop them from wriggling and trying to escape her. She stopped when she was sure he was fully healed and her shoulders slumped, her breath coming in shallow pants.

He watched her sadly as he stood up and gathered her in his arms before making his way home slowly. At least, it seemed they had caused a good distraction enough. Their friends were surely out of the city by now. At least their plan seemed to have worked. He just wished Sakura could have stayed out of it. She wasn't ready to face Sasuke. Not like this.

Once they were back in the safety of his home, he heard the girl in his arms sniff and felt her tremble. He pressed her tigher against his body lowered his head to hears, almost close enough for their foreheads to touch.

"No, Sakura, please don't cry.", his voiced came out more strained than he meant it to. It quieted her though. She could hear the pain in his voice. The least she could do for him right was now to go in a break down. She had failed him enough in the fight.

"We're going to give you a bath. You need to be cleaned up. You like baths, right?", he let out quickly, even a little nervous. She nodded hesitantly. He brought her in the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the sink before starting the water of the tub.

"I'm going to undress you, okay? I won't look, I promise. Here.", he said softly, lowering his headband over both of his eyes so that she wouldn't panic. His hands found her hips and he helped her out of her flak jacket and shirt easily. He left her bra on though, that would probably hurt more than help. Her pants were a little more troublemose, but they were off quickly nonetheless. Sakura had watched him shyly as he got rid of clothes a little clumsily. His hands were much larger than hers. They were warm. They felt strong and were gentle.

She relaxed a little, touched by the fact that he was actually covering his eyes. It didn't matter in the end, he had already seen her. He just wanted to make her feel better and make her forget about today. It was what she wanted too. He got rid of his own clothes, keeping on his underwear as well. She blushed brightly at this, wanting to protest but she held back. Once the water was full, he turned it off and helped her in the tub.

He sat with his back to one end of it and tucked her comfortably between his legs. She leaned hesitantly against his back, laying her head on one of his shoulders. She let out a soft sigh as the hot water touched her skin, soothing it slightly. It felt good. She closed her eyes and turned her head towards his neck, cuddling closer to him. She felt him swallow. She mustn't be the only one to be a little uneasy with this position, she thought. She pushed it aside quickly and willed herself to think about nothing and relax.

He lifted one his hands to stroke her arm carefully. She didn't protest so he widened his range a little, going down to her elbow then back up to her shoulder. He heard her sigh and took it as a good sign. He wrapped his other arm around her tiny waist and laid his head against hers. How long had it been since he'd been this close to someone, he wondered. He wasn't sure he'd wanted to allow this, but he couldn't help but feel a little... happiness? Yes, he felt content with just holding her to him right now. It helped them both forget. Even if just for a short while.

He kissed the side of her forehead. Her eyes shot open. That was his lips just felt. "Kakashi-sensei?", she called softly. He 'hm'ed in response.

"Did you take off your mask?", she asked, surprised obvious in her tone. "Mhm." She hesitated and bit her lip before deciding to ask.

"Can I look?" He chuckled lowly. "I've got my eyes covered to make you certain I won't look at you. Why would I let you?", he whispered in her ear. She felt herself blush.

"Because you're my favorite sensei?", she tried. He chuckled again. "It's up to you.", he replied. He wasn't sure he was satisfied with his response, but he didn't really care right now. He waited for her answer for a little. He didn't feel her moving so it made him curious.

"Do you promise you'll let me see it some other time?", she asked, sounding a little sleepy.

"Sure. When you deserve it.", he replied. She felt him smile against her forehead. She felt her heart flutter a little. She couldn't even tell when he was smiling through his mask and now she could feel it. That was a little strange. He felt her nod and relaxed a little.

"Bring your leg over here.", he ordered, his voice just a little less serious than usual. "I need to wash it.", he clarified when he felt her hesitate.

She did as he asked and tried her best not to blush as she watched his hands rub her leg gently with the soap bar he'd picked up. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax, leaning a little more on the man behind her. He didn't dare say it out loud, be he noted her skin was soft. It was nice. Once he was done, he let go of her and leaned against the wall.

"Do you want to go to bed?", he asked, unsure of what to do now. The water was starting to turn cold anyway. When she nodded, he stood up retrieved a large towel from the cupboard under the sink. He helped her up slowly and wrapped her in it before lifting her up in his arms and replacing his headband so he could see where he was going. He made his way to her bedroom quietly. He placed her on her bed, careful not to hurt her leg.

"Is this okay? Do you want your pajamas or something?", he asked, his voice low as if he would wake someone up if he spoke louder.

"I'll be okay. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I'm glad you're there.", she answered, shaking her head. It was too dark for her to see his face. He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"No problem. Sleep well, Sakura.", he said finally before leaving her room and going to his bedroom. He dropped on his bed tiredly. She had almost died today. He had almost lost yet another teammate. He must really be cursed. If it hadn't been for the ANBU interfering just in time, Sasuke would've slit her throat and he wouldn't have been able to do anything.

He sighed. He felt his muscles tremble slightly. He needed to become stronger. He needed to train harder. It was never enough. He couldn't allow himself to get mellow. He was putting his city at risk by being lazy. He raked his fingers through his untamed hair, trying to think about something else.

By now, their friends had to be quite a way away from Konoha. Suna was three days away at normal speed. If they really tried, they could be there by tomorrow night. He wondered when the next time they would meet would be. He rubbed his eyes and let his arm drape over them. Tomorrow they would be declared missing nins when they were reported missing from their posts. There was a possibility that the rest of them would be interrogated. It would make sense. There was nothing against them though, so it would be useless. Any surveillance would report that they hadn't seen each other since the Hyuuga party and it would be deducted that they weren't included in the decision.

Sleep took a long time to claim the jonin. On Sakura's side, it had been the opposite. She felt drained. The bath had relaxed her enough and she force herself to think about Kakashi's soothing words and actions instead of the fight. The pain in her leg dulled her consciousness and she simply allowed sleep to take over. She would think tomorrow.

She was woken up at sunrise by a crow pecking on the window. A quick glance at it let her know that it was one of the Hokage's messenger birds. They were summoned at the tower. It wasn't surprising. She slipped out of bed sleepily, groaning when she stepped on her left foot. Right. Shattered bone the previous night. She dragged herself to her dresser and picked out her usual ninja attire. She dressed quickly before going to knock on Kakashi's door.

"Sensei, we're being summoned to the Hokage tower.", she called hesitantly, wondering if he would wake up easily or not. She heard him mumble something and assumed it was a positive answer. She sat on top of the couch's back while waiting for him to get ready. It barely took five minutes before he was out. How did the man manage to be so late all the time?

"We need to stop by the hospital though, I need clutches.", she let out, pointing her badly bruised leg. He nodded and picked her up before she could say a thing.

"Hey, I can still walk.", she growled, flailing a little.

"If I let you, then we will be late.", he explained while making his way out. Once outside, he ran at full speed towards the hospital. She didn't say another word. After their quick stop at the hospital, he repeated the gesture and they were at the meeting spot in no time. Danzo started his speech barely a few seconds later.

"We have bad news.", he started, his head going from one side of the room to the other slowly. "Sasuke has infiltrated our precious city last night and caused many casualties and injuries to our ninjas. What is truly sad is...", he continue, taking a little pause before announcing what Sakura dreaded the most. "That one of us let him in.", he said after a few seconds. Chatter started in the room, wondering who did such a thing. Alarm should have been sounded as soon as he was sighted, after all.

"It was Naruto.", he finally said. There was a loud protest in the room but the Hokage was quick to explain. "It seems Naruto has sided with his old friend. The hunter nins tell us that he is on his way to Sunagakure, most likely seek help from the Kazekage. It also seems that several of our ninjas have gone missing as well, though they were not seen fleeing the village. It is assumed that they were recruited by Naruto.", he continued.

"Our intel leads us to believe that the boy plans to side with Sasuke to destroy Konoha. As we have all learned recently, the Yondaime was Naruto's father. Like Sasuke, he mustn't have taken well to learning the truth of what happened around him. He couldn't accept the fact that his own father sealed the Kyuubi in him and then let him be an orphan.", he explained.

Sakura's heart broke even further as the room was divided in two kinds of chatter. On one side, people were unable to believe that the great Naruto Uzumaki would do such a thing. On the other, people were scoffing and saying they always knew the boy was dangerous. How could they? Naruto had just saved all their lives! He was the one to defeat Pein. He fought for them all of his life, even though everyone hated him. It was unfair.

Feeling her anger rise, Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. The last thing he wanted was for her to go up to the Hokage and defy him. That would be disastrous. Danzo continued on to declare that their teammates were now missing nins. One by one.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Class S.", the first came.

"Inoichi Yamanaka. Class A.", the second.

"Ino Yamanaka. Class C.", the third.

"Kiba Inuzuka. Class B.", the fourth. Huh? Sakura guessed he had changed his mind. It wasn't really surprising coming from him. Hopefully him and Akamaru would be fine.

"Hinata Hyuga. Class C.", the fifth.

"Tenten Hisagia. Class B.", the sixth.

"Maito Gai. Class A.", the seventh.

"Rock Lee. Class B.", the eight.

"Shino Aburame. Class B.", the ninth.

"Shibi Aburame. Class A.", the tenth.

"Genma Shiranui. Class S.", the eleventh. That was it. Sakura stared at the floor. She would miss them so much. It hurt. She felt guilty for not joining them. But then again, Kakashi had decided this. If he had, it must've been because it was for the best.

"Shizune Kato. Class A.", the twelth. Her head shot up as she heard the name. She hadn't been at the meeting. Did she see one of her friends flee and decided last minute to join them? Sakura immediately felt a little lonelier. Tsunade was in a coma, half of her friends were gone for Kami knows how long, and now, the closest thing she had to a sister was also gone.

Kakashi's hand gripped her shoulder a little tighter. He wasn't aware either that Shizune would be leaving. In the end though, he was glad. They would have a great medic with them, this would heighten their chances of survival. To his surprise, Sakura shook off his hand. He brushed it off as her being uncomfortable like this in public. She needed to appear strong.

"Several hunter nin teams have been sent after them. Be prepared to be called in as reinforcements at any time today. Usual activities are suspendes until tomorrow.", the Hokage added. "You are dismissed.", he ended. Before they could leave, an ANBU informed Kakashi that he would be assigned solely to intern guard duty until the pink-haired girl had healed well enough to accompany him on missions.

Sakura and Kakashi walked home quietly. Slowly. They didn't have a choice with her clutches. He didn't know what to say. She was sulking, he could tell that much. He didn't know what the sudden change of attitude was all about. It was obvious that Shizune's discreet departure would affect her greatly, but he'd expected her to come to him for support like she had in the past few days. Hm, probably once at home she'd switch back to that. It seemed to be how she functionned.

He was wrong. As soon as they were home, she headed for her bedroom. He scratched the back of his head as he followed her to her door. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She turned half-way around, though she refused to look at him in the eye.

"I can make tea.", he offered. He had no better idea, really. He certainly wouldn't offer her another bath. Yeterday, it had seemed like a great idea, but now it would just be misplaced.

"No thanks.", she muttered and disappeared inside her bedroom, closing the door behind her. He stayed there for a few seconds, staring at the door. What was that feeling? That little thing that gnawed at him right now. He thought quickly and came up with one conclusion. He felt rejected. The last time Kakashi had felt rejected was... Well, he couldn't remember.

He moved to the kitchen to grab an orange. That should cheer him up. Either way, he needed to think about their little resistance. There wasn't much to be done on the inside other than uncover some dirt on Danzo. The problem was that he had been approved by the daimyos and the other Kages. That made it complicated. The Kages wouldn't necessarily hard to convince, especially with Gaara on their side, but the daimyos were another question.

He'd have to meet with Shikamaru and see what he thought about it. Two heads were better than one, right? It would make the whole thing easier. His head was starting to hurt now anyway. He stared at the orange that was sitting on the table, in front of him. His chair squeaked somewhat painfully when he shifted his weight. He wasn't that heavy, was he? He sighed. Nothing managed to keep his attention.

"Sakura?", he called as he approached her door. No answer. He knocked.

"What do you want, sensei?", she finally answered. Looks like she was in a sour mood.

"Just making sure you aren't ripping out the last of your hair. Because I think I might be.", he threw back, hoping to catch her attention enough to make her come out. For a second, he remembered the warmth of her from the previous night. It really had been too long since he'd had a girlfriend, he noted.

"I'm not. You shouldn't. You'll be ugly if you do.", she replied, her voice still sounding bitter. His shoulders slumped. More. What was he supposed to do now?

"Want to watch another movie?", he asked, a little hesitant, after a little wait.

"Your movies suck. Keep them to yourself, Kakashi-sensei. You can watch them without me.", she spat back. He was starting to question himself now. Had he done something to make her angry? He gave up and did as she said. He turned on the tv after putting a movie in the player and let himself fall lazily on the couch. Nothing better than a crappy movie to suck your attention and the life out of you.

In truth, Sakura did feel guilty about how she had just acted towards him. She just couldn't stand it right now. He had ignored her most of her youth, and now, all of a sudden he wanted her unconditional attention? It was weird. It made her feel uneasy, even though she had thoroughly enjoyed it. The bath might have been a little inappropriate considering their positions to one another, but he had made her feel so much better so easily.

She just felt betrayed right now. Everything was just changing so brutally. Shizune's unannounced leave was just the last string. She couldn't allow Kakashi to make her feel better. She needed to be angry. She needed to mourn what she felt she was losing. She couldn't stand for him to be so nice to her. He had always been, in the end. It's just that they never got the opportunity to spend time together. It nagged at her that she hadn't noticed it before and had been angry in silence at him for so long. He made it all go away too easily. It wasn't okay.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Alright, so my little commentary on the last chapter that I forgot at the end of it. I wanted to stay somewhat close to what Sakura's encounter with Sasuke had been like in the manga. Since Kakashi and Sakura couldn't quite be seperated, it ended up a little farther, but I wanted to keep the moment where Kakashi knew he wouldn't be on time to save her. It's going to play a bigger role in this chapter. It felt it necessary that Sasuke left a bigger impression on Sakura, hence the injury. It's also going to cause some trouble between Sakura and Kakashi. :3 I also did on purpose to pratically ignore the fact that Kakashi felt rejected when Sakura refused his help. It seemed most likely to me that Kakashi would simply ignore such things as best as he could.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story! :D I'm glad people are liking it. Each chapter takes about four or five hours or work so it's great to see someone appreciate it. xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter five: Sweet Home

Sakura hadn't been out of her bedroom since she'd arrived. He'd spend half of the evening getting every peanut in the five pound bag he'd bought last week out of its shell. It had been a bargain, really. It was half the price of the two pound bag if you checked the price per gram. But then again, who needed five pounds ofpeanuts? He stared at the thrash can besides it, overfilled with all the shells. No one, was his answer. The distraction had been nice though. He was starting to wonder if she would actually come out tonight or not.

At midnight, after yet another bad movie, it was almost midnight. Really, why had he bought those things? He needed to be more careful whenever he spent money. This was such a waste. Not that it ever made a dent in his wallet, but still. They were better things to spend it on. He sighed and got up, making his way to her bedroom. He knew she wasn't asleep, he could hear her steps around the room every now and then. He hesitated for a while. Should he try and talk to her?

The answer was no. He simply went to bed. It was what he should've done all along anyway. When had he decided to make her his personnal business anyway? She would be perfectly fine on her own, she alway had been. Though he was still somewhat curious about what had upset her so much. He would just ignore it until she got over it and came around to him instead. He didn't chase after people.

The following week had been quite quiet. No sighting of the new missing nins had been reported. They received no news either, but so early on, no news were good news. They were probably hiding out in Suna until they could get a better plan. Sakura was back to acting the way she had before. She scolded him whenever he slouched, ate something unhealthy or didn't take a shower every day. She scolded him when he was late. They had meals together, chatting a little then. But the rest of their time was spent apart. She visited the hospital a lot, trying to pick up a little work to keep her busy, but Danzo's order were strict. She was completely off-duty until her leg had healed fully. Until then she was a burden to everyone.

Kakashi, on his side, tried his best to keep busy as well. He was on guard duty around the village ten hours a day, six days a week until his pupil got better. It was boring, really. But it was better than staying home. He spent some time thinking about how to kick Danzo out of the Hokage tower. He felt they were only two solutions. They could either bribe or intimidate him into doing so, which was very unlikely to work, or give enough evidence to the elders that he plans that went against Konoha's best interest. Or assassinate him. Either would do. It would just be nearly impossible to do so without being caught and he really didn't feel like spending the rest of his days in prison.

He came home that night to find Sakura sleeping on the couch. She'd fallen asleep while watching ones of his movies. He smiled a little. It was somewhat nice to have someone to come home to, even if she barely talked to him lately. Sometimes he wondered if she'd ever have dinner ready for him on the table. It was quite unlikely. He didn't even think she was a good cook anyway, so it was better off that way. He deposited the take-out boxes on the cofee table before he walked to the couch and kneeled down in front of it, watching her a little before stroking her back to wake her up. A little teasing was in order.

"Hey, sweetie. Wake up, it's time for dinner.", he let out softly, grinning a little. He knew that Sakura talked in her sleep if she felt safe enough. Usually, it was the case when she was in Konoha.

"Hmm, no. I'm not hungry.", she mumbled sleepily.

"You'll be late for your date.", he replied, hoping to make her react a little more. And it did. Her head shot up and one of her eyes remained half closed while the other was perfectly awake.

"Huh? I don't have a date. Who is it with?", she answered, rubbing her eyes tiredly while she sat up straighter.

"No one, I was just teasing you.", the jonin said with a playful glint in his eye.

"Oh. You're annoying, Kakashi-sensei.", she shot back before yawning. How long had she been sleeping? She sighed and set her feet on the couch's cushion, hugging her legs loosely to her chest. Her eyes stayed locked with Kakashi's for a little moment. He decided to tug at the little thread she was hanging and sat beside her, a hand on her knee. She didn't react, which gave him a little hope.

He felt the urge to hold her to him. A selfish urge. It wasn't to make her feel better about anything. It was just to have her agains him, because he wanted it. He didn't know why. A little voice inside his head told him he just craved the physical contact because he hadn't had any in so long. Said voice was quickly thrown out an imaginary window. Since he was a selfish man, helaid down and pulled her over him before she could say a word. She was quick to sit up, though. Right on his lap. He was tempted to grab her hips and pull her forward a bit so she wasn't sitting on something to sensitive, but he was quite certain the gesture would earn him a well-placed punch. That wasn't desirable.

"Why are you doing this?", she asked shyly, obviously a little uncomfortable about their current position. It's not like he was the one to put her in his lap.

"Because I wanted to.", he replied simply. It was the truth, he didn't have any better answer. He wanted her close to him so he did. In theory it was simple. He noticed a slight blush creep up her cheeks. It was cute. He carefully slid his hand up one of her legs to rest on her waist. The other one sneaked up to cup her gaze kept his.

Her cheeks were warm. Her cheeks were quite red now. He liked it. It was both cute and funny to see. His thumb ghosted over her lips slowly and she opened her mouth just a little. They were soft. They looked inviting. How would she react if he tried to kiss her, he wondered. His eyes roamed her body shamelessly for a few seconds, noting how well her shorts hugged her legs. How her shirt was a little loose on her, but had a V-neck than went a little lower than he thought safe. Was she wearing a bra today?

She wasn't stopping him, so he decided to find out. The hand that had cupped her cheek lowered to slip inside her shirt, sliding on her skin until he reached her ribs. He hesitated a little then. She was looking at him with unfocused eyes. She was clearly a little unsure, but she didn't seem to mind. So he slid fingers up slowly, until they touched the underside of her breast. She wasn't wearing one. Oh, Kami. He felt himself starting to harden but he couldn't get himself to push her off of him, instead, he tugged at the hem of her shirt to get her to lay down on him.

Sakura didn't know what was going on. She could feel everything that was happening, she couldn't lie about the fact that his hands felt great on her. They were warm and gentle. It was nice, even if it was in an innocent way. She had missed his comforting gestures. When he tugged on her shirt, she did as he wanted. He said he wanted this. He wanted her close. She didn't know what it meant, but she understood a little. It just felt nice to have someone to hold in your arms. To be held.

She set her hands above each of his shoulders, stopping a little distance away from his head that was leaned against the arm of the couch. The hand that had been on her waist slid down to hold the back of her thigh. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. She wriggled a little to get more comfortable then, rubbing herself against him unconsciously. The Copy Nin closed his eye slowly, holding his breath to keep from showing his arousal. She obviously noticed how all this made him feel then, because her eyes had widened and she blushed brightly.

Right then, he wanted to pray for her not to leave. He didn't know where he was headed with this, he just didn't want her to leave his arms. She didn't. She leaned against him more fully, pressing his arousal against her crotch instead. He let his breath out slowly, both of his hands grabbing her hips and holding her firmly in place. This felt good. His mind wandered then. How would she feel around him? Was she tight? He felt himself throb almost painfully at the thought. She gasped in surprised at the feel. She was obviously very inexperienced and had never felt a man against her. He opened his eye again and looked down at her chest. Yep, her shirt was loose. He could see an entire breast from this angle. It was the same size he had thought. Her nipple was hard and he could feel it daring him to touch. He swallowed a little hard before giving in. His hand sneaked into her shirt once more, coming up to grasp her breast softly. She gasped again, though this time she closed her eyes.

Right then, he had no more questions hanging out around his head. He wanted her, and pretty bad. He glanced at his bedroom door. No, too far, he thought. Right here would be good. He pulled his mask down quickly before leaning up to kiss her. She was too stunned to move. She was still trying to process everything that was happening, wondering why she hadn't bolted the second she felt he was hard. Something kept her there. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was the little jolt of pleasure she had felt when he throbbed against her.

The kiss was soft, though he didn't wait long before adding a little pressure. He tweaked her nipple between his fingers and smirked as she moaned in his mouth. His tongue took the opportunity to reach for hers, rubbing gently, checking for her reaction first. He felt her melt against him. He smelled her arousal. He restrained himself from the strong urge to just have her right then. His mind was reeling, thinking of every way he could get her to let him have his way with her as fast as possible. He grabbed one of her hands and let it down to the prominent bulge in his pants. She didn't protest at first, simply letting him guide her. He made her grip him, pumping up and down slowly. He let out a shaky breath as pleasure rushed through him.

"Sakura...", he breathed against her ear, closing his eye to focus solely on the sensations. His hand left hers, glad she was continuing on without him. He went for her shorts, slipping the hem without any trouble. He slid his fingers in her underwear and traced her slit quickly. His heart was pumping. He was in a rush and he wanted nothing more than this right now. Nothing else mattered.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!", she cried out, backing away from him quickly. She clumsily got off of him and ran to hide in her bedroom. He stayed still for a moment, processing what had just happened. He wanted to curse. Both at himself for doing this, and at her for leaving. He didn't know what to do then. He got up and made his way to her bedroom, knocking on the door softly.

"Sakura.", he called hesitantly. He heard the door unlock, but it didn't open. He pushed it open slowly and peeked in. She was sitting on the bed, holding her pillow to herself.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean for it to turn that way.", he apologized. He didn't know why he had done it. He had just wanted it and acted on it thoughtlessly. It had probably just been too long since he'd last been intimate with someone. His body craved it and he felt it was natural to give in. It would have been if she hadn't been his student and if he hadn't almost let her be killed just last week. He stared at the floor, unable to look at her in the eye.

Sakura didn't know what to reply. She hadn't meant for that to happen either. It just happened. It just had felt somewhat right at the moment. She had liked the feeling of his hands on her. She blushed once more at the thought, shaming quickly washing over her. She looked behind her at some tree outside her window. Anything to get her mind off of this.

"I know. It was my fault. Sorry.", she blurted out. She did feel as if she had provoked him at the least a little by sitting on him like that. She just hadn't thought. After all, he had been able to take a bath with her and stay a complete gentleman. Kakashi was quite surprised by what she had just said. Her fault? He was totally certain that it wasn't.

"If you say so. Let's jurt forget it happened, okay?", he let out hesitantly. At least this allowed him an easy way out. He just hoped she wouldn't be avoiding him for months after this. He wanted to be there for her. If he couldn't be there for her when her life was in danger, then he had the obligation to be the rest of the time, he assumed. Naruto and the ANBU would be there for the other part, he chuckled to himself.

"Yeah. No problem.", she replied quickly, fidgeting with the scratched the back of his neck, reluctant to leave. Something was tuggign at his heart, as weird as it sounded. He felt like he was a teenager who didn't know how to deal with girls. Well, he didn't really know how to handle a teen one, that was for sure, but he certainly had his fair share of experience with women. That moan while they kissed proved it.

"Okay. Are you hungry? I brought take-out.", he offered, motioning to the living room.

"Um, yeah. A little.", she nodded. Truth was, she hadn't eaten that day yet. After he had left for his guard duty, she'd just plopped down on the couch and decide to mope for the rest of the day while watching tv. Her leg was hurting quite badly. Chakra healing did wonders, but that didn't spare you the convalescence. The body needs to do its work.

She stood up wobbily, trying not to step on her foot. It just made it worse. She had ignored it when she had fled from him, but now she was paying the price. He was on her side in a second, helping her stand straight. They walked in silence to the kitchen, grabbing the boxes on the way. She smirked when she opened her box. There were some fried noodles with beef and vegetables. That, she liked. But there was also another small container. With anmitsu. That, she loved. How did he know her so well when they spent so little time together.

"How did you know?", she asked while pulling her chopsticks apart.

"I have a knack for details.", came his simple reply. She shrugged and just started eating. She was starving.

After their meal, it was more than time for bed. His shift ended too late. He wasn't a morning person, but he hated going to bed in the middle of the night. He just didn't like waking up. Sleep was the only time of peace he had. To his surprise, just before he reached for the doorknob of his bedroom, slender arms wrapped around his mid-section. He stood still for a few seconds, waiting for her to say something.

"I don't want to lose you, Kakashi-sensei.", she let out quietly, evenly. He turned around to face her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I got lost on the path of life once, and I found my way back, didn't I?", he let out, half serious and half joking. He didn't want to tackle such a subject. Probably because he felt so strongly about it and it wouldn't do to break his stoic and aloof habits so openly. She huffed and swatted his arm.

"I was serious, you dumbass.", she replied, a slight frown on her face. He saw through it, though. He saw the mischief and playfulness behind it. He smiled a little and slid his fingers down her arm to her hand, holding it loosely before he brought it up to his lips. He blew on it. She quickly pulled her hand away form him with a high-pitched 'eek'. She was ticklish there. He'd learned that on a mission, from the way her fingers had moved around his hand when he helped her up. It was subtle, but nothing escape Sharingan Kakashi.

"That's not fair.", she pouted. How could he know all these little details? He just shrugged and hushered her to her bedroom.

"Nothing is fair for a ninja.", he lightly scolded. "Good night, Sakura.", he let out before turning around once they'd reached her door. He heard her bid him the same, though he just ignored it. He quickly locked himself in his bedroom and sat on his bed tiredly, sighing. He was tired. So tired. It wasn't his long and boring shifts as a guard. It wasn't the way that Sakura kept his attention all to herself when he come home.

It was all those times that he lost a teammate, or almost lost one and that wouldn't leave him alone. It was how he had taught Chidori to Sasuke. How he had failed to see where he was headed, thinking he could redirect him. Sakura's broken leg was a constant reminder. He knew he couldn't keep his loved ones out of harm's way forever. They would get injured, severely, as he had. As he so often did. It was the life of a ninja.

It was because he'd held back, because he'd underestimated Sasuke. He still wanted to believe that he would come back to them, that he wouldn't turn out like Orochimaru. He was wrong and his mistake had almost cost Sakura's life. Their little session on the couch was just another weight to add in his already large collection. He wasn't one to lose control, and he hadn't. He had just willingly ignored all these voices that screamed at him that she was his student and not the right person to use as a sexual outlet.

It wasn't uncommon among ninjas to use sex as a coping means. It relaxed you and made you forget for a little moment. It felt good to be held, to hold and to give yourself to someone for a little while. It was one of the rare times where another's presence so close wasn't a threat. Sure, you could be very close to your teammates. You could be great friends, but they couldn't fill this particular void. This loneliness. It was only natural to desire someone's company in more intimate ways, even if just to hug or cuddle. Every human needs warmth.

Sakura had just been there. It had been a long time since he'd last been with someone. He'd been too busy with missions, and now the reconstruction of the village. Without forgetting the resistance against Danzo. She was just convenient. Because she lived in his home and let him see under her shirt by accident on the couch when he was seducing her. He sighed as he felt himself harden again. It wouldn't go so easily tonight. He laid down on the bed and tugged his pants and boxers down, reaching down to stroke himself.

Even though he wouldn't admit it, just blame it on what had happened, his mind was filled with a certain pink-haired kunoichi. A girl who was laying below him while he ground his hips in hers, who was on her knees in front of her, head bobbing back and forth. Or her front against the wall of the shower while he took her from behind. He liked that one. He managed to stay silent when his orgasm came, grinding his teeth as he tensed and breathed harsh. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear him.

He relaxed after a few moments, breathing deeply, while he grabbed tissues from his nightstand and cleaned himself up. That felt good. Now he could go to sleep easily. He pulled his boxers back home and slipped under the covers, closing his eyes immediately. For once, sleep didn't take long to claim him.

On her side, Sakura's mind was reeling. She was thinking about the encounter with Sasuke. She didn't love him anymore, really. She had gotten over that childish love under Tsunade's tutelage. She hadn't only taught her how to be strong physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. The Uchiha was unreachable and one day she would have to kill him. She had to be ready. Her resolve was strenghtened now. He had hurt Kakashi, and he would have killed her if the ANBU hadn't arrived. He was a lost cause. A murderer. Next time, she wouldn't be so stupid. She would be strong and she would kill him. To protect her own loved ones.

Kakashi crossed her mind again. Their little moment on the couch. Or in the bath. She had never imagined in her wildest dream that the Copy Nin would allow her so close. She didn't know why he did, either. That bothered her. She assumed that he did it all only for her benefit, to comfort her. The kiss on the couch made her doubt though. That wasn't for her. She hadn't asked for it, so it was for him? He had wanted it, that much was clear. She shivered slightly as she remembered how he'd touched her. It had been good. He was experienced, that much she could tell.

She was trying to figure the whole thing out, though. She needed to focus on that. Not on how her teacher had turned her on. Maybe he appreciated her presence. Maybe Kakashi could be lonely too. After all, she'd never even heard of him having company besides Team 7 and the occasional meeting with Gai or the other jonin. That must have been it. He just wanted some company. She surely wasn't the right one to provide it though. She was his student. They couldn't cross that boundary. She pondedred biefly how he would do to invite a woman over with her in the way. She quickly crushed the thought though, she didn't want any more images of him in compromising positions.

That left her with why he was letting her invade his personal space, something she knew he held very dearly. She liked being this close to him. Being able to hug him every now and then, cuddle him while a movie. It made her feel closer to him, that she mattered more to him than he would admit. It was a nice feeling. She cared for him a lot. Even more so since she'd started living with him. She didn't know why, but there was just something that drew her to him. She wanted to be a part of his life, and for him to be a part of hers. She wanted more than the casual 'hello-good bye' conversation.

She wondered a lot what his past had been like. If he'd had girlfriends, or owned a different home. Had ever lived somewhere else. Anything. Anything that she didn't know about, she wondered. He was just so mysterious. It wasn't about the mask anymore, or the sharingan, but about what he didn't say. What no one but those who grew up with him knew about.

Then it hit her. He'd kissed her. He'd had his mask off! And she didn't even think to look! She flailed in her bed, groaning and battering her mattress with her feet. Goddamn it. Of course she'd be too distracted to see the one time he'd allow her to see it. Oh well, another time, maybe. Not.

The next day was relatively quiet. He left early and came back late for his shift. She staye home, bored. She needed to get something done. It was driving her insane to just stay there and wait for her leg to heal. In about a month, she'd be ready to go and as good as new. Until then, her life would be full of nothing. She tried to be productive. She cleaned everything as well as she could, though she didn't dare go in his room. His door was locked anyway. It didn't take too long since her friend was already quite a neat freak.

She spent some time trying to accelerate her convalescence by trying to heal her leg further. It did help, as she found certain cracks in the bone that hadn't been mended well in the haste of the first healing. It barely took her half an hour to get everything as perfect as she could. She spent the rest of the time working on her chakra control so she wouldn't get rusty. She sliced random bits of paper with her chakra scalpel, molded it in random shapes. Anything.

Once she was sure he'd be home soon enough, she got to cooking dinner. Pan-seared fish with steamed veggies. Nothing complicated, but if she didn't cook the fish tonight, she knew it would go bad. He came home just a couple minutes before it was ready. He sniffed a couple times, wondering what was going on. He stared at her when he noticed that she was cooking. So much for thinking she would never have dinner ready when he would come home.

"You made dinner?", he asked, unable to believe it. He made his way to the kitchen as lazily as ever and watched over her shoulder. Hm, it didn't look at that bad.

"Mhm. I was going crazy with nothing to do, so I thought I might as well do this.", she explained moving the fish to the plates. They flaked horribly due to her lack of skill, but they would still be good. She handed him the two plates, grabbing her crutches again so she could move to the table. He set the place and sat in silence, staring at the meal.

"It isn't poisonous, is it? I told you I didn't do it on purpose.", he let out, eyeing her. She shook her head and giggled a little. She liked this side of him. The paranoid one that joked. He had nothing to apologize for. He just did it so she would wonder what he might've done to her. It use to work, riling her up and resulting in her questionning him intensely until he'd finally give her an honest answer.

They ate in companiable silence, enjoying their meal. It wasn't delicious, but it was palatable. It served its purpose. Once they were done, she insisted on doing the dishes, though he wouldn't allow her to do it alone. His excuse was that she could barely walk. It obviously didn't take long since it was done after each meal, but it made for a nice little time together. They joked about anything that crossed their mind, exchanging friendly banter.

At that moment, even though they didn't say a word about it, both of them were certain that their relationship was good. That they'd be there for one another, no matter what the other would say. Neither of them were certain how to deal with the changes in their feelings for one another, but it was okay. They were both good friends and would stay so, they were just getting closer. Spending time together, cuddling a little. Nothing that really close friends didn't do, right?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, some more action in this chapter and a little time skip. I hope I'm taking the right direction with this story. :3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter six: Homerun

Three months passed. The city was awfully quiet without Naruto. Or maybe it was the execution of two leaf nin who had opposed Danzo's orders to cut all communications with sound nin. It had been publicly broadcasted that Naruto and the Kazekage were on the same side. It was thus announced that by this alliance, Gaara was declaring Suna an enemy of Konoha. All trades had been stopped, every nin that had been out in reconnaissance missions was sent back home.

Many had protested this choice. Suna's alliance was important to everyone, it was proof that there was hope in this world. That peace was possible. That Naruto and Garra weren't only jinchurikis but the emblem of strength of two great nations. What kept them together. Two nins had strongly opposed this decision, going as far as to raise an uproar against the Hokage. Once they were found to be the leaders, they had been promptly executed on the spot by root agents.

This made Sakura wince. If they weren't careful enough, this would be how they would end up. No questions asked. Danzo would execute them the moment he found evidence of their resistance. Iruka was imprisonned, for taking Naruto's side and announcing that he wasn't out to destroy Konoha. It wasn't possible. His fate was currently being decided by Danzo and his followers. They evaluating if he'd make a better example alive or dead. For all that everyone knew, he was simply in a cell 24/7. But Kakashi knew better. They were interrogating him for any information on Naruto and the missing nins' whereabouts and plans.

Naruto had surely informed Gaara of what was really going on, because the latter had sent letters to every Kage in order to state his opinion of the new Hokage. Sadly, they didn't seem to agree with him. Everyone wanted their own part, to be more powerful than the others. Siding with Suna would provoke Konoha and might result in a war. As much as everyone wanted their part of the cake, no one wanted that. Especially Danzo, in the end. Konoha's military force had dwindled after Pein's attack. Luckily, many had been brought back because of Naruto's contagious enthuiasm, but they were losses nonetheless.

The reevaluation of the chuunins had taken place. Many had been degraded. No one she personally knew had been, but she'd heard many hushed complaints from random people that they met on the street. About a sixth of them had been demoted. A quarter of those had been sent to root. It was impossible to know what they did there, as it was classified. To her surprise, Sakura had been promoted to jonin. She would have been happy, if she hadn't been certain that Danzo had something in mind when he did so.

The village had now been rebuilt a great deal, although the civilian side of the city was still very lacking. Danzo didn't prioritize it at all. Food had been rationned and most of it went to the ninjas, of course. They were the breadwinners. An hungry ninja was as good as a dead one. It was about two months before Shikamaru had contacted them. Neji had spotted Akamaru waited at the designed spot. It was easy for Ino to slip in the city. She'd use her mind-switch jutsu as soon as they received confirmation that they were acknowledged.

Strangely enough, at the least, to Sakura, that was done by sending one of the deer of the Nara forest. They would pass completely unnoticed. Once Ino found an innocent bypasser to catch, she sneaked inside the city. She then delivered her message to the spot they had agreed on. It was a dingy tavern that was barely frequented. They were to leave their letters in the cut of one of the leather booths. This particular message had been rather innocent. It described how they had been working with Gaara to uncover what they could on Danzo.

All that they had found was that Danzo covered himself for a reason other than wounds, though it had been impossible to find what it was that he hid. This intrigued Kakashi very much. He needed to find more information about this. That would be for later though. It had been announced this morning that Iruka was to be executed next week, because of his ties to Naruto. He was declared a traitor. He'd never heard anything so ridiculous. If Danzo hadn't so carefully monitored his organization and kept their forces so well hidden, then he wouldn't be able to stay Hokage very long. No one had the means to fight root.

"Sakura.", he called as he came home. She had been on guard duty that particular day and hadn't been able to attend the meeting.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're home.", she replied casually as she strode towards him, leaving her book on the couch. "What's the verdict?", she added, frowning.

"Death.", he announced, his eye lowering to the floor. Her eyes followed his.

"I see. Isn't there anything that we can do?", she asked softly.

"You are a poison expert, right?", he inquired. He had a plan. His question was purely rethorical. She nodded and he knew he had her full attention.

"I need you to mix one up. Sleep-inducing and memory eraser.", he demanded, his voice strict.

"It shouldn't be too hard to sneak in the hospital, there's no security there. I can make on that induces sleep for a short time, but the victim won't even realize that he's been out. It's just like being hypnotized.", she described, surveilling his reaction.

"That's exactly what we'll need. We'll get Iruka out of there.", he added, nodding.

"Okay. I'll get to work then.", she replied, bypassing him to exit the appartment.

Sneaking in the hospital truly was no big deal. People were used to seeing her there. Since being assigned to jonin, she'd been put back on hospital duty part-time anyway. Due to her status as Tsunade's pupil, she was allowed in every section of it. No one would even notice the missing ingredients if she forged the numbers in the inventory. No big deal. Many people had greeted her, but none had seen her in and out of the iventory room. It was too easy. She didn't bother to use the lab there, she had everything she needed back home. Doing it here would only be dangerous. She might be caught, and it would be hard to explain what she was doing there.

It took her two days to complete the process. It really wasn't that hard for someone like her, but it took time nonetheless. They were things that she couldn't speed up without affecting the end result. Kakashi had watche her closely whenever he could, obsverving her every moves. She found it somewhat unnerving, but she knew he did so only out of curiosity. He knew little of this art, and found it interesting that she did. It was still hard to see her as more than the genin she'd once been. He realized now how much she had progressed.

"There. It's all I could make. We have seven doses. One will knock someone out for about nine minutes, depending on size.", she declared as she held up the small vials.

"That's good. We just need enough to get by without being seen. It doesn't matter how they assume that Iruka escaped as long as there's no link to us.", he replied, cocking his head to the side.

"Okay, what's the plan then?", she questionned as sheh secured the vial to the designed spot on her belt. They were set to tiny needles. She could either throw them, or hit the victim directly with it. Nothing easier.

"Tomorrow night, we're to be interrogated at the compound where they're holding Iruka. You can guess the rest.", he let out, not feeling like he needed to explain. Knock out interrogaters and anyone who was there, free Iruka, be back at interrogation before anyone knew. They'd just need to rig the clock so they didn't notice the time skip. Easy enough, right? Sakura simply nodded, trusting her sensei. He wouldn't do something if he wasn't sure of it.

Said time came faster than Sakura had anticipated. Her insides were churning uncomfortably as they entered the room where they were to be interrogated. It was in the ANBU HQ. Kakashi knew that place perfectly. It was a good advantage for them. Anko was there. Hopefully, she was an ally. It was easy to not take sides, save your own ass. Kakashi seemed confident though, so she trusted him blindly. As soon as the door started closing being them, Kakashi slipped a wedge of paper in the lock so it couldn't close entirely. There would be no way out otherwise.

The man's back was to them while he led them in the room. Big mistake. Root weren't careful enough when they thought they had all the power. Sakura threw him on of her vials, hitting him in the back of the neck. This poisin worked instantaneously. The man froze on the spot. They had nine minutes. Anko stared at them with wide eyes for a second, before grinning widely.

"You asshole! I knew you'd do something like this. At least this time you didn't knock me out with them. Now, shoo! I'll take care of him if he wakes up.", she let out quickly, crossing her arms behind her head. Good, she was on their side. That was easy.

They didn't lose another second, slipping back in the halls and running to their destination. The vials went quick. Two guards at their door, one in the halls. Two in front of Iruka's detention room. Only one more dose left. Breaking down the lock was an easy task with Sakura's inhumane strength. One well-placed, chakra-laden punch went right through the wall, though it was precise enough to damage the rest as little as possible. It was something that many could do, just not so easily. No one would know, though.

Iruka watched the door hesitantly as he watched the door open. He didn't feel like company right now. Company that tortured you was no fun. He simled weakly as he saw Kakashi come in. Looks like he had a way out.

"Come on, we have to get going.", he let out, helping the man on his back quickly. "I'll be right back. Meet you at the room.", he said to Sakura as he sprinted for the exit that Sai was guarding. He took the last dose of poison with him, for the other guard. There, Shikamaru would be waiting to help Iruka escape out of the village. Hinata and her team were waiting for him in the Nara forest.

Sakura nodded hesitantly as she watched them leave, before bolting for the interrrogation room. They had three minutes left. If he didn't make it back before then, they would be in serious trouble. She held her breath as she reached the room, reaching for the clock to set it back seven minutes. Two more. He had better hurry. Today was no day to be late.

She watched the guard anxiously with Anko, hoping he wouldn't wake up any earlier. He was quite a big man, after all. To her horror, he blinked. Her breath caught in her throat. No. They couldn't harm the guy. It would link them to Iruka's escape. As he got control of his body back, the man looked around the room.

"Where's Kakashi?", he growled out. Anko immediately hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out once again. He would take a while to wake up now, though. Sakura's mind was reeling. They needed another plan. Kakashi arrived just then.

"I hope you guys have another plan, for fuck's sake!", the purple-haired woman roared. She obviously didn't want a fate similar to Iruka's.

"Don't move.", Sakura warned as she approached and hit several pressure points, putting her to sleep as well. Her eyes locked with Kakashi's for a second. She saw the vial in his palm. It was still full. It seemed he hadn't needed it after all.

"Give me the vial.", she let out, holding her palm out. He didn't move. She ran at him, grabbing his arm before he could move. He had no idea what she had in mind, but she wasn't going through with it. He wouldn't let her.. He grunted as she added chakra to her grip. She would break his arm iif she had to.

"Why do you need it?", he ground out, dropping the vial as he felt his bone snap. It would heal easily, she'd made sure of it.

"Because one of us needs to stay here. Thanks for everything Kakashi-sensei.", she answered, biting her lip as she injected him with the liquid. Her eyes were watering. She didn't want to leave him. It tore her apart inside. It was the only way for at least one of them to stay alive. Otherwise their plan would be uncovered and they would both be executed. She dropped the vial to his feet and made a run for it.

When he came back to himself, he wanted to tear his hair out. How the hell had he let her get the best of him? How could he let her do that? Everyone in the room was confused. They were surrounded by several ANBU.

"That bitch poisonned us!", Anko spit out, pointing to the vial in front of Kakashi. One of the masked ninja grabbed it, obviously keeping it for further inspection.

The next moments were a blur. Everyone spoke about Iruka's escape and Sakura's whereabouts. They questionned. He answered in all honesty that he didn't know, that he hadn't been aware of her plan. It was the truth. Except the part where he put all the blame on her for Iruka's escape. Thanks to Anko's persuasive perfomance, it was quite easy to make everyone believe that the girl had been unable to let her beloved friend's teacher be executed.

And now she was on the run. She was alone. Maybe she'd been able to catch up with Iruka and the others, he wondered as he made his way inside his home. It felt incredibly empty without her. He hoped with all his will that she was safe. He walked to her bedroom, inspecting it. She hadn't stopped here before leaving. She'd really left the village.

Sakura panted as she ran. Her legs were burning badly but she couldn't possibly stop now. ANBU were after her. That much she knew. What would they do with her? She heard one closing in on her. He was barely a few meters behind her. She growled in frustration and turned around to face him. How the hell was she going to get rid or an ANBU? He stood there for a moment, staring at her. Evaluating her next move.

"You won't get me alive!", she roare as she threw herself at him with all her might. She was fighting for her life today. Fighting for all the times she had failed, for her promise to help her friends. To not be useless and weak. She screamed as she aimed a punch at the man's chest. He tried to block her with his arms. Good, it seemed he didn't know her. He was going to pay. She stopped herself as she heard the sickening crunch of his bones. She'd gone right through his arms and now left quite heavy damage to his chet. He would live, but he wouldn't have if she hadn't stopped. She watched him with a frown. He was a Konoha nin. He was just following orders. She couldn't kill him.

"Don't tell them where I am. I'm on Konoha's side. So should you.", she let out evenly before turning on her heels and running. She felt guilt weigh her down. She had injured one of her own. She had no choice, though. If she was caught, she would be executed. Probably on the spot, too. It was her life of theirs. She would make it out alive for her friends, she swore.

She stopped once she had reached a small civilian village. Casting a henge on herself was no problem. She did so quickly, before entering. She had a little money with her. Enough to last her a week or so, probably. She bought some food for a merchant before settling down in a small inn for the night. She'd managed to charm a few bucks off the price. Good, anything that she could save right now would help her.

Three weeks passed quickly. Too quickly. She'd done some work for local businesses in whatever town she stopped for money. That was her only means on earning some without attracting attention. She stopped in her tracks when she heard some whispers on the side of the street.

"I heard the Copy Ninja was declared a missing nin.", was all that she heard before she felt herself tense. It was like she was blind and deaf for a minute, processing what they had said. After all that she did, why did he do that? She had done this so he could stay in Konoha and be safe for all of them, for fuck's sake! He just ruined all of her work!

She had decided to head to Suna. It was the only spot she knew they could meet. It was impossible to contact one another. He had to be going there as well, she assumed. It was obvious that the others hadn't stayed there very long. Anyone could report their presence to the Hokage for the large sum of money he offered for every missing nin. Even staying with their only ally outside of Konoha was dangerous. Hopefully, they'd arrive about at the same time. She had no idea when he'd left. She didn't dare ask.

It took her two days to reach Suna from where she had been. She headed straight to the Kazekage. Luckily for her, Kankuro and Temari appeared to be on guard duty. She pulled back the hood that she had been wearing just enough for her hair to peek through. She dropped the henge and looked up at them with her green eyes.

"I have some business with the Kazekage.", she stated simply. They had recognized her quickly and Temari led her in. They were safe inside.

"Kakashi was here just a week ago, looking for you.", Temari said, turning to look at her.

"Was he? Do you know where he is?", she asked, eyes filled with hope. She had missed him. So much. It was a little painful to admit, but much more so than any other of their teammates. Maybe it was because they had lived together for three months. Maybe it was because in the end he was the rock in her life, the one to keep her steady.

"Sadly, no. But he said he'd pass once a week. He knew you'd come here when you got the news.", she explained evenly, leading her to a room nearly at the top. It had no windows, just the bare necessities for a bedroom. Sakura could tell that this was a storage room they'd rearranged for her or Kakashi.

"When will he be back?", she asked, eyes sweeping the room.

"Tomorrow at noon. You can rest here. If no one asks quetions, then you should be able to stay here for a little while. We'll do what we can for you guys. I can't stay longer, though.", the blonde said before leaving. She was brief and strict. That was Temari alright.

She didn't lose any time to fall on the bed, eyes shutting quickly. She was so tired. She had made her way here as quick as she could. She kept just enough energy to fight should she come across anyone, but she had focuse on travelling. It was already quite late, so she could just go to sleep and wait for Kakashi the next day.

She slept much longer than she had anticipated. Nights of barely sleeping to keep a tab on her surroundings had taken their toll on her, she assumed. She heard a knock on the door and recognized Kakashi's chakra. Her heart jumped to her throat. She ran to the door, opening it for him quickly. He walked in and closed it behind him just as fast. She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly to herself.

"Kakashi-sensei!", she let out, her voice betraying how angry she was at him. She was also very happy to see him. Happier than she had been in a long time now. "Why did you do that?", she growled, not giving him the time to greet her. He wrapped his arms around her again, holding the back of her head to him firmly.

"I couldn't leave you out there alone.", he replied, his voice lower than usual. She scoffed and looked up at him, frowning.

"I was okay alone. You didn't need to come save me.", she scolded, leaning her head on his chest. As mad as she was at him, she couldn't tell him to go. She wanted him too badly now that he was there. She needed his presence to keep her going. To lead her as he always had.

"I know. You did well. You can take care of yourself, I know that, Sakura.", he replied, looking down at her. His eye had softened. It made her feel mellow, like she'd been ranting at him for no good reason. Her hands gripped his flak vest in the back. "I needed to see you.", he admitted, his voice much softer than usual. She watched him closely, eyes wide with shock. He never admitted such things. He never said such things.

"I missed you so much, Kakashi-sensei.", she said, her voice breaking a little as tears welled at the corner of her eyes. Kakashi felt overwhelmed. He had spent the past month alone, and he felt the lack of her presence heavily. He had gotten used to live with her. He couldn't explain it, but it didn't feel right when she wasn't close to him anymore. Something nagged him, telling him that she was his girl. That she would be with him for the rest of his days if he would just open his eyes.

They sat together on the bed for a while, telling each other about their journey for the past month. Neither had done much interesting since they had both managed to keep the attention away from themselves the whole time. They had been safe. This relieved them both very much. As the conversation died down, he pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. He felt the need to touch her, to have her close. As his eye wandered down to her lips, he realized he also wanted to kiss her. More so than he had ever wanted to kiss anyone else.

Sakura blushed as she noticed he was watching her, wondering why he was doing it and what he had in mind. She felt the need to have him by her side right now. Not just this very moment, but forever. She didn't know if she could deal with the world without him anymore. He had helped her so much throughout her life, and now he had become a missing nin to be with her. He had done what she would have done for Sasuke. The thought was weird, but it bugged her a little. It brought her to think about her feelings for the man.

Were they hugs and teasing as innocent as they both had claimed? Or had they kept a certain distance from each other because they both knew where it would be going if they didn't put up those barriers? Her questions died down as she watched him lower his mask. She finally got a good view at hi face. He was handsome, but that she already knew. You didn't need to see that little part of his body to know. What she did notice, what that he looked much younger than his years. That he had a smile on his lips. That she liked those lips.

When he saw her eyes soften and the blush on her cheeks, something snapped. He couldn't deny it anymore. He had grown much more attached to her than he should ever have. He wanted her for himself and himself only. He didn't want to allow anyone else to touch her. He liked her. More than a friend should. He just wouldn't admit to her that he was falling for her. Could he even fall in love with someone? The thought was foreign. He ignored it. He didn't need to tell himself that he was in love with her to know that he needed her close to him.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her small waist. She didn't hesitate to respond and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. She didn't reject him. He remembered that one time she locked herself in the bedroom and refused to speak to him. It had hurt him. More so than he had wanted to admit, and now he knew why. It was because he refused to let her suffer without him. Because he wanted to go through everything with her. He wanted to help her get through all of life's woes. There would be many, he knew, but it was okay.

She was a strong girl and he would be there to help her up when she fell. He laid her down on the bed, so that they were both on their side and pressed close to one another. He broke the kiss to give her neck light pecks. It felt perfect, just like this. Just with her in his arrms. Nothing else should matter. Just for this moment, nothing else would matter, he decided.

"I really missed you.", he muttered, stroking her back.

"I did too...", she replied, a little breathless. It made him smirk. He knew the effect he had on her at anytime, thanks to his keen sense of smell. Right now, she was a little aroused. He wouldn't act on it though. It didn't feel right to do so just yet. Instead, he kissed her again, just caressing her back, legs, arms, whatever he felt like. He was content with the fact that she let him do this.

On her side, Sakura wasn't too sure what was going on. All that she knew was that it felt great, to be held by the great Copy Nin like this. To be carressed and kissed by him. To see him. She felt her heart flutter. Was she falling for him? That was impossible. He was her teacher, she couldn't. It wasn't right. Something screamed at her, but not to get away. Rather to look at how they were currently entangled in her bed and kissing. Who cared if it was right or wrong, they were already kissing. He had already touched her where no one else had.

They both just lay in bed like that for a while, forgetting the world around them. Just a little moment away from the world was what they both needed, because that world had betrayed them. Everything that they had fought for so hard all their life, them and their friends, was being destroyed single-handledly by one person. One person who was leading Konoha in the wrong direction.

Tomorrow, they would think about how to get him. How to dethrone him and give Konoha back to its rightful people. They would find the other and stop hiding like rats. They would reclaim Konoha and restore it to its former glory. Just tomorrow, when they'd had enough of each other. When they were rested and felt ready to tackle anything that life would throw their way. Today, it was just him and her. That was it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Okay, so there was some big developpment in the past chapter. Kakashi and Sakura's relationship obviously progresseved. Small time skip. And here's more now. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.

Chapter seven: One day, one day

Three years had passed. It'd been a very long time since Kakashi had fled to rejoin with Sakura, but he had never regretted it. He couldn't have left her alone in such a time. He'd promised to be there for her, hadn't he? Unforunetaly, things hadn't progressed very far concerning Danzo. Their groups had seemingly dispersed, having a hard time contacting one another. They hadn't seen anyone in those three years, actually, so they had no information on how the others fared. Suna was no longer safe. Danzo and the other Kages had threatened Gaara into letting Konoha's forces survey the city since it was clear that the missing nins were going there whenever they needed support.

It wouldn't do to have a city to hide missing nin willingly, after all. Having lost their common ally, it had become nearly impossible to find each other. They couldn't let traces behind him, or else the ANBU would be after them in the blink of an eye. At the least, they hadn't heard about any of them being caught. No news were definitely good news right now. The couple had focused their efforts of finding their friends for the past year, having somewhat settled in their fake identities. It kept them safe. It was still hard, though.

It was in that mean time that Sakura had developped her first original jutsu. Thanks to her great chakra control, and Kakashi's willingness to be used as a guinea pig, it had given great results. It was only a detection jutsu. A means of communication, in its most simple way. The jutsu allowed her to leave her chakra on objects. It would be undetectable by anyone, and would register every chakra signature that touched it. She just needed to go back and dispell the jutsu to absorb the chakra back and receive all the information it had retained.

Kakashi watched the girl as she worked on her Blossom Imprint, that was the name she had given it, and thought of all that they had gone through these past three years. Their relationship had somewhat evolved since finding each other. They were clearly closer to one another. He hadn't allowed it to progress any further though, as he thought she was too young to be settled in a relationship with. She'd been young enough to fantasize about romance and boys, but he would wait for her to become a woman who knew what to expect a little more from life.

They had kissed every now and then, usually after an emotionally intense moment, where they couldn't help but seek comfort in one another in more physical ways. She had matured a lot since their departure. She still had her temper, but she held herself better. She didn't react too strongly to random things or his teasing, the latter he somewhat regretted. It wasn't as easy to get to her anymore, but it made things more interesting. She matched his jokes now.

He now openly accepted the fact that he wanted more from her than a friend he could offer. He just didn't openly show it because he didn't feel that she was ready for it yet. He was impatient for the day she finally would. Though that was also the day he feared, somewhat. There was still the possibility that she would refuse him. He doubted it, since she always accepted his display of affections, usually offering as much as he did. He was just bracing himself in case the worst happened.

Their cover had been that of two travelling merchants, wife and husband who loved the travel the world and got by through selling anything they picked up long the way. Thing was, they usually stole what they sold. How else were they supposed to find so much stuff? To anyone else, it didn't matter. They never stole for a high value, and it was untraceable since they didn't stay anywhere for more than two or three days. Plus, what good ninja was caught when doing something so simple as stealing from a civilian?

Sakura had grown much stronger than he'd ever imagined. She was even more determined now. He assumed that it was because of Danzo's ruling, but mainly because of Sasuke's attempt to her life. He had trained her whenever he could, though he didn't have all that much to teach her anymore. He didn't specialize in chakra control and medical jutsu after all. They mostly sparred, which had mostly helped to improve her speed and agility, the rest she had worked on by herself. She was probably on an even level as him now, he mused.

So was the rest of the team, after all. In an all out fight, he might still be able to defeat his students, only due to his expansive experience in fights. But as far as skill and strength went, they all matched him. He often pondered the question. Everyone was specialized in something different, so it was hard to evaluate properly. He liked to think that Sakura would kick everyone's ass sometimes.

When Sakura finished implanting her jutsu on several trees, creating a linking between them that was invisible to the naked eye, but would register anything that them. She turned to watch Kakashi. The man hadn't changed. Heck, he hadn't changed in the whole eight years she'd known him. She hoped she would age that gracefully, too. As far as she could tell, her face had matured a little, losing the rest of her childish look, but the rest remained the same.

Her relationship with Kakashi wasn't something that she quetionned anymore, even though she had for a very long time. All that she knew was that they were very close, but he had refused most physical intimacy with her. They were something in between friends and lovers. Like the platonic form of lovers. A little boring, in the end. There were times when she just wanted him to pin her to the bed and have his way with her. A blush crept up her cheeks at the thought. She hadn't been sure if it was love or affection in the beginning.

She'd come to the conclusion that it couldn't be love, because it didn't feel like when she pined for Sasuke. His attention was something that she sometimes needed to work for, but she never felt the need to hog it all and have him fawn over every little thing she did for him. She did have some butterflies flipping around in her stomach when he was very close, when they kissed, but she had pinned that to being physical attraction. The rush of warmth she felt when they shared a special moment was something that she attributed to simply enjoying their closeness. Wanting a little more of it everytime.

In the end, she guessed that it didn't matter. They had each other, until they found their friends. They were simply helping the other get through tough times. It was what they needed right now. She still had a little trouble with the kisses that they shared. And the other intimate times. She didn't quite know how to describe them. She just guessed they were moments of weakness where he wanted to take comfort in her. It had happened, that was how they had started out, right? When he'd first kissed her on the couch. It must've been for that.

"It isn't polite to stare, Sakura.", he teased when she stared at him, obviously lost in thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I was somewhere else.", she muttered, looking away from him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and led them back towards the village. It was the seventeenth time she applied the jutsu. It was still a relatively new thing that they used this, so it hadn't brought any results other than random ninjas yet. The only inconvenient was having to pass back to each spot all the time. It made it hard to find the trace of their friend without it being already outdated.

"Kakashi-sensei...", she whispered to him as they arrived in their inn room. He tensed. He knew that tone. She had turned to him, hands fisting in his loose shirt and leaning onto him. Sometimes, she tried to get him to go further to her. He wasn't sure if she wanted to go all the way, all he knew was that he would rather wait. His privates strongly disagreed with him, but all he had in mind was what would be best for them in the end. Not making their relationship all about the physical intimacy, but rather about the closeness they shared.

She lifted one hand and placed it carefully on his mask, lowering it slowly. He bit the inside of his cheek as he watched her, noting every little detail he liked about her face right then. Her eyes were half closed, focusing on his lips. They were a little unfocused, which he found cute. Her lips were just slightly apart from each other. She always did that whenever she was doing something and wasn't entirely there. Her breathing was slow.

He was giving in. He wrapped on arm around her waist, pressing her close to him while the other stroked her hair. She didn't hesitate for once, he noticed. She simply got on the tip of her feet and kissed him. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise and chuckled on the inside. That was the first time it happened in a non-threatening moment in the past fifteen years. Maybe he should have gotten out a little more. He deepened the kiss quickly, coaxing her mouth open by pinching her chin a little. She liked it when he did that for some reason.

He smelled her arousal strongly in the room already. She was getting worked up quickly today, he mused. He had to admit she was getting to him, too. He felt his member twitch a few times. The hand on her waist moved from its comfortable spot, lowering to grasp one of her butt cheeks. She gasped in his kiss, making him smirk. He nudged her towards the bed, lowering them onto it slowly and carefully. It was unusual for them to do this out of the blue like this, but he wasn't about to complain, really.

He wanted her to so badly right then. It happened when he felt like nothing would ever change. When he started to believe that their identites were true, that they were husband and wife travelling the world to sell their wares. He made no big deal of removing her shirt, doing so quickly. She rarely wore a bra, choosing bindings only when she knew they would be fighting or running for a long time. So rarely. Her breast were small enough that they didn't bother her most of the time.

He broke the kiss to move his attention wholly to her chest, toying with one nipple with his mouth and the other with his fingers. She moaned, just slightly, when he nibbled on the little pink nub. He felt himself get hard, unable to hold it back now. He slipped one hand in her shorts, losing no time to go under her underwear as well, to tease her clit. She gripped his sleeves in anticipation.

It wasn't hard for him to make her come. They'd only done this twice before. Once a year back, another three months back. The first time it had been because the smell of her arousal was becoming unbearable to him, and frustrating to her. They were always together, so it was impossible for her to do anything. He'd done it to help relieve her, but also to help calm himself down. He was no saint after all.

He decided to hurry up a little bit then, feeling the need for a cold shower creep up on him. He left her for a few seconds, just enough to get rid of the rest of her clothes before pulling her to the edge of the bed and kneeling down between her legs. He continued teasing her clit with his tongue while his finger easily slid inside of him and pumped in a slow rythm. She groaned, biting back what would've been a moan of his name. She couldn't call him Kakashi so loudly. He was Yonoro and she was Tsumi here.

She didn't know why, but he was riling her up very quickly today. He seemed to want to lose no time. He usually took his time with her, making the climax worth all the wait. She gasped his fake name as he gave her clit a firm lick, sending shivers down her back. She was panting and gripping the sheets. She was close already. And the Copy Nin knew that. He gripped one of her hips with his free hand, rubbing his tongue firmly against her clit and speeding up the pace of his finger, stroking what he knew was her sensitive spot.

She was a moaning mess in front of him, making him breath quicker. His arousal was throbbing, begging him for the girl he was pleasuring. But this was for her, not for him. It was barely a few more seconds before she tensed and he felt her come, tensing and screaming his surname. He couldn't wait for the day where she could openly scream his real name. He stood up once she relaxed, watching her. He bit the inside of his cheek. Something in his mind was whispering 'sex, sex, sex' but he ignored it.

Once she came back down to Earth, her eyes moved up to meet his. She knew he was going to make his way to the bathroom if she let him, so she sat up quickly, as close to him as she could. She hooked her fingers in the hem of his pants, looking up at him and biting her lip. She wanted more from him. She wanted to give him more. She didn't know why he held back like this. She knew he was aroused, the bulge in his pants that she was now so used to see was obvious. He just never allowed things to go further. If there was one thing she had never imagined Kakashi to be, it was a prude.

"My husband.", she purred as sexily as she could, trying to coax him into more by actually playing like they were married. "You should let me do more for you."

"Another time, Tsumi.", he replied as he grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his pants. She was sexy as hell. He wanted her badly. He hated this kind of role play, because she didn't need anything more to make him want her. He hated that it wasn't real. He saw the disappointment in her eyes, and wondered if he was really doing the right thing by refusing her once more. It had been three years. She was twenty now. She had grown into a wonderful woman and he knew it. Maybe he should do it.

She watched him intently, obviously weighing the pros and cons of trying to insist. He matched her gaze. He wasn't sure if he would resist anymore if she insisted. He didn't know if he could. He almost sighed in relief when she pulled away from him and slipped under the covers. Naked. There goes relief.

"I'll be in bed if you need more then.", she replied seductively, closing her eyes as if she was going to sleep. He wanted to shoot himself or something. She was going to kill him, that minx. He went to the bathroom and wondered if he should take care of his problem in the shower. He decided that if he was going to spend the night with a naked Sakura in bed without compromising her virginity, then he'd better. He turned on the shower and sighed as he did.

He came back to bed barely fifteen minutes later, only with his boxers on. If she was going to sleep naked, then he might as well go in boxers. He knew she was still awake, he could feel it. After a minute or two, she moved towards him and cuddled him, laying on leg over his while her head leaned on his chest. He stroked her back absent-mindedly.

"Why won't you let me do anything to you?", she asked after a little while. He was somewhat relieved that her tone was serious. It made it a little more bearable when she wasn't too turned on to think straight.

"I didn't feel it would be right.", he answered simply. In short, it was the truth. It just didn't tell her anything else that she needed to know.

"With what you do to me, I don't think that's what's stopping you.", she replied, looking up at him. She was becoming too clever, that girl.

"Would you really want to do that to me, anyway?", he said, trying to steer the conversation to a different subject.

"I'd let you fuck me if you weren't so stuck up.", she spat back, a little angrier than she'd intended to let on. "I'd want you to do it.", she added after a little hesiation. He signed audibly. That was why he didn't want to. He didn't want it to be just a fuck, just a roll in the hay. He wanted her and all of her. Not bits and pieces.

"That's why I don't want to.", he said, still remaining vague. He didn't feel good about proclaiming his feelings for when she thought like this.

"What do you mean?", she growled, rolling to sit on top of him, obviously unashamed by how she squirmed in his lap and splayed her hands on his chest. "Am I supposed to be refusing you for you to want me?", she asked, feeling a little desperate. She felt that she needed a clearer explanation if they were going to keep this up. He felt his heart rate quicken as he got hard again, she squirmed too much when she was mad.

"It's not like that. Just drop it, okay?", he tried, grabbing her arms to try and still her. She obviously felt him against her thigh though. To think that just his boxers seperated them.

"Is it? Because your friend there seems quite happy to see me.", she teased, intentionally aligning his crotch with his so she could rub herself against him slowly. He tensed, holding her arms tighter as he tried to stiffle a groan. To his dismay, she took this as encouragement and continued, moaning a little herself. His will was definitely crumbling. She had never been this bold before. He couldn't say he didn't enjoy it.

"See? I can you make you feel good too, Yonoro.", she purred, closing her eyes as she felt her arousal spike. He bit his tongue a little too hard as he felt his boxers moisten a little. He grabbed her hips, unsure if he was going to help her roll her hips or stop them.

"I know you can, I have no doubt about that, Tsumi.", he admitted, his voice hoarse. HIs hitched when she lowered herself onto him fully, kissing him a little too forcefully. He wanted to badly to just pull himself out of his boxers and bury himself into her right then. That was what she wanted, right?

"Then let me.", she half-begged, half-ordered. He gave up then. There was no way that he was getting out of this clean so he might as well enjoy it. It had to be a good sign that she wanted to share his pleasure with him, after all.

"Fine.", he ground out, not sure if he was entirely satisfied with giving up. She hesitated a little as she registered his response. She was a little shy all of a sudden. She was out of known terrain now, so it was to be expected. He closed his eyes and she pulled off his boxers, throwing them to the side of the bed. He hissed when he felt his head rub against her core.

"No. Not now. Just do what I did to you.", he rasped, trying with all his might to actually stop her hips, and not pull them down.

"O-Okay.", she let, embarrassed. She sat lower on his thighs and observed him for a little. She had never actually seen a man aroused. People who were getting physicals didn't usually get hard. She slid her fingers down his length tentatively, surprised at how soft the skin was. He relaxed when he felt her hesitate. This was how she was supposed to be. She wrapped her fingers around him and started pumping lazily, obviously focusing on the feel of him in her hand for the moment.

When he felt she wasn't sure of what to do, he placed his hand above hers and guided her in the rythm he knew and liked. It wasn't long before he was breathing harshly, throbbing in her small hand. Oh Kami, he had wanted this so bad. He forced his eye open to watch her. Her mouth was a little more open than usual, making his mind wander into some fantansies. He grunted, tightening his hold on her hand and pumping a little harder. He tensed up for a moment, before relaxing back into the mattress with a long moan.

Sakura watched him in mild amazement. She had claimed to be able to make him feel the way he did with her, but in truth she had no idea what to do. She was glad for his help. He stretched one of his arm towards her and she took it as a cue to get a little closer. He fondled her breast a little rougher than she was used to, but she enjoyed it. She let a moan escape her lips, making him grunt again in return.

"What would you want right now, Tsumi? How aroused are you?", he teased, watching her intently. She hesitated a little at first. Dirty talk wasn't something they'd ever done. She'd just try and be honest, she assumed.

"I... I want your fingers in me again. I want you bad.", she answer, biting her lip in embarrassment. She felt him throb in her hand and took it as a good sign.

"Touch yourself. I'm sure you make yourself come at the same time.", he let out, smirking. He was letting go of too many barriers, he thought. That was completely forgotten when she hesitantly lowered her free hand to her crotch. He bit back a moan as he watched her, toying with her nipple. He loved to feel her tense like this. She slid a finger in her a little hesitant. She closed her eyes in pleasure when she started pumping it, experimenting with which ryth, she liked best.

He sped their hands again, feeling his arousal spike when she moaned. He wasn't going to be much longer. He rolled them over quickly, making her gasp in surprise.

"Keep going, don't stop, okay?", he directed when his hand left hers. His lips crashed to her in a harsh kiss that immediately deepened when she moaned again. He held himself up on one elbow and used the other to go tease her clit. He didn't take long to slide a finger in her entrance. She was so hot. He groaned in her mouth, bucking his hips into her hand. He had to hold himself back from spilling in her hand right then. He wanted it to last a little longer. Her hold on him faltered a little when he made her come for the second time, making her moan and scream his name again. She tried to keep her hand moving, though it was in a broken rythm until she came down from her high. His hand joined hers again and he sped up, holding tigther. He grunted several times when he felt his orgasm hit him. He spilled his seed onto her stomach, shutting his eyes tight in pleasure. It felt so good.

He collapsed beside her when the pleasure started to subside, panting. On her side, Sakura stared at the white liquid on her stomach, playing a little with it between her thumb and forefinger. It was sticky and warm and weird. She looked back at him, not finding much interest in the liquid. It had just felt nice when he came on her, she liked the warmth of it and having the evidence of his pleasure on her body. He reached for the tissues on the nightstand, passing her a few.

Once they were done cleaning up, they spooned against one another, foregoing the covers. It was a bit too hot right now. He stroked her belly absent-mindedly, still basking in the afterglow. He wondered if now would be a good time to tell her how he felt.

"I'm glad you're withh me, Tsumi.", he tried, testing the waters.

"So am I, Yonoro.", she replied a little sleepily.

"I'd marry you all over again.", he added, his tone a little more serious than she anticipated. She didn't respond for a little, thinking over what he had said and trying to figure out what he meant.

"We're already married.", she replied, a little hesitant. He bit his lip. He wasn't going to act like the teenager she sometimes made him feel like and ask her to be his girlfriend.

"I know. Maybe if your hair was pink I'd do it again.", he continued, looking at the top of her now dark blue hair. It was because of the henge she always kept on now. Her eyes were brown. He missed the pink and green more than he wanted to admit. On his side, his hair was much longer and black, while his eyes were now a light blue. His scar wasn't visible anymore and he was even a little heavier, something that Sakura had suggested. They shouldn't keep the same body types to avoid being recognized, she'd said. He agreed. He just didn't like how she was almost as tall as him now, and how she also gained quite a few pounds with the henge. It wasn't that chubby girls bothered him, he just wanted Sakura.

She was silent for a moment, obviously processing what he'd said and weighing the words that she wanted to use. She wondered where he was going. Was he saying that they'd be married if they were in Konoha? That didn't seem to make sense to her. Underneath the underneath was his mantra, so she tried to think by it. Sometimes it helped her understand this cryptic man.

"So if I had pink hair, you'd finally give me children?", she teased, trying to change the subject. Their imaginary couple had been together for ten years now, with her being twenty-eight and him thirty-two.

"If that's what you would want.", he replied with a chuckle, drawing circles on her shoulder. She tensed a little. He wasn't dropping the subject. She bit inside of her cheek. Why was he saying that? Was he really saying that he wanted to marry and have children with her if she wanted to? For fuck's sake, she'd just come to terms with their freaking relationship a few months ago! Why did he have to ruin it now? What they had was nice. It didn't need to change.

She couldn't stop the butterflies were swirling in her belly a little though. Would it be nice? She bit back a giggle as she imagined their children running around with wild tufts of pink hair and onyx droopy eyes. Would he be a good husband? She tried to think of everything he did with her, how he did it. He often brought meals home. It was nice. He was a bit of a neat freak, but he was always willing to help her with the dishes. He teased her like no one else could because he was the only one who knew her so well. He made her laugh every now and then, whenever the urge got him, she guessed.

In the end, Kakashi was nothing he exposed himself to be. He came across as stoic and aloof, but in fact, he cared and felt like anyone else. He just refused to show it. He seemed like the most lazy person, but he was the most hard-working that she knew. The only thing that didn't change was that he was always late, except for saving her ass. That was Kakashi.

He certainly wasn't selfish. He was, at times. He did what worked for him in the end, that much she knew. He always let her have more than him when he didn't have a plan for the better that obliged him to do otherwise. Their physical intimacy was a perfect example. He'd touched her three times now, and allowed her to do it only now, probably becaue she wouldn't let go of it.

"What if I wanted five?", she let out, teasing a little but mostly testing the waters.

"Then how about I give you six?", he whispered, kissing below her ear a few times. She giggled. He liked that sound. It wasn't a melody in itself, he just loved knowing that he made her laugh and that she was comfortable around him now. She was the only one he felt he could let in on his personal space, to give her access to his real thoughts.

"Would we have a house or stay in your crappy appartment?", she continued, biting the tip of her tongue softly. He was making her curious.

"My appartment was crappy now? I thought you'd liked it back then.", he teased, biting down on her neck as a playful punishment for her insult. She wriggled and laughed some more. "Then I guess we'd have a house. One bedroom per two people in the house. So if we have six children, we'll have four bedrooms. How does that sound?", he questionned, now nibbling her jawline.

"Hmm, that seems perfect.", she replied, closing her eyes and relaxing in his arms.

"Then will you be along for the ride?", he asked, stopping his ministrations to look at her in the eyes. She held her breath for a little, surprised by the sudden change to seriousness. Was he really admitting he had feelings for her, after all? She truly didn't know what to answer. She felt so giddy and happy she could just say yes. Everything should be fine. They'd been alone together three years now. They did have the occasional argument, but overall it was great being with him.

What would happen, though? She couldn't help but think about their friends. It was going to be awkward. She guessed that they would accept it after trying to beat Kakashi to a pulp for molesting his student though. Just what did she want, in the end? If he announced that they were to just become normal friends again, it would hurt. She wanted this intimacy with him. She wanted him to be there like no other people could be. She wanted his body all for herself, and give hers exclusively to him.

She sighed, causing him to back off a little so he could sit up straight. Was she in love after all? It wasn't how she felt for Sasuke. What if she hadn't loved Sasuke then, and this was what real love felt like? The need for companionship only from one particular person, wanting to be their confident and to be able to share every special moment with them? To want to live with them. At that moment, it hit her that if things were ever to be normal again, then they would go back to living seperately. That thought tugged at her heart painfully. No. She wanted to live with him.

Kakashi raked his fingers through his hair as his head lowered so he could stare at his covered lap. He was too straightforward. He probably scared her off. What an idiot he was, pratically asking her to marry him before he even told her how much he liked her. That was how he should have started. This would be yet another mistake to add to his list. Kami, they were really starting to add up. He'd probably end up in Hell. He was pulled out of his thoughts when she placed a hand on one of his.

"I don't really understand what you're saying, Yonoro. But I want to be with you. I don't want us to be seperated and live apart like before.", she answered honestly. It was true that she didn't understand everything that he said or that was going on right now. She wasn't sure if he was admitting that he loved her, or simply wanted to settle down and found her fit for the role of his wife. She just knew that the whole plan seemed nice. Like it could make her happy. And hopefully make him happy as well.

She saw him smile and drop his shoulders in what appeared to be relief. Had he been scared she would reject him? That was an interesting thought. She'd never imagined that the Copy Nin ever felt fear of rejection. Who wouldn't like him? Well, many people, in fact. But that was because he wanted them to. Anyone that he cared for cared for him, that was everything that needed to be said.

"Do you?", he replied, holding her hand tightly and laying down close to her again. "You took a long time to answer.", he added, honestly worried that she wasn't telling him the entire truth.

"It's just because I'm not sure what you meant. But it's true, whatever you meant, I just want to be with you. That's all. You... You want the same, right? To be with me?", she questionned, turning to him and biting her lip. He nodded simply, pulling her in a tight embrace and kissing the top of her head.

"Will that change anything?", she whispered, barely audible.

"No, we've been together for a long time now. It will be the same.", he replied, stroking her back. It was true. He believed that they had been as close to a couple as they could be the moment she sought comfort in him that night when they took a bath together. It was at that moment that boundaries blurred and that he felt the need to be with her. He assumed she felt likewise.

"Then why didn't you say anything sooner?", she asked. They were speaking in such huhed tones that even if their room had been bugged, it wouldn't be more than background noise like the wind or the sound of moving around in the bed.

"I didn't feel it would be right until I was sure you were ready. It's the same reason I didn't want you to touch me.", he answered, hoping she wouldn't berate him for treating her like a child. She had been young. Sixteen wasn't a time where you thought about settling down. Twenty wasn't either, but you had the possibility to now. She hesitated to answer.

"I see. I guess I would have freaked out if you'd asked me this when I was just starting to live with you. I just wish you hadn't taken so long, it's hard to know what to make of our relationship, you know?", she explained, her fingers playing on his chest. He chuckled lightly.

"I guess so. I'm sorry. I just needed to make sure you'd want me.", he said, being honest with her. It was true that it must've been confusing to her. He refused most intimacy with her, yet they were as close as they could ever be and he touched her where no one else could. Where he would allow no one else to. "You're mine. That's all you need to be sure about.", he added, his voice similar to a growl. It made her giggle a little.

"Does that mean that you're mine?", she teased. He didn't want to answer. His male pride didn't want him to. He wasn't to be this girl's toy just because he had admitted to wanting no one but her.

"Only if you can handle me.", he teased, rolling over her and pinning her hands above her head.

A/N: Woo, even longer chapter! xD 1100 word over the usual chapter, but iit felt necessary. Their little love scene couldn't be given less attention or be cut in two chapters, I thought. So there you go. They're more certain than ever of their future together, but Danzo is still Hokage. Let's not forget that. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Okay, just want to precise one thing. If Kakashi held back from doing anything with Sakura, it wasn't because she thought she was too young for physical intimacy, obviously, or because he wants to be married with her or anything. That sounds just ridiculous coming from him. It just to make sure that their relationship wouldn't take a different turn than what he wanted. He didn't want to be just a friend to her, and especially not a sex buddy. You could say that those couple times he 'helped' her was to get her hooked. ;P

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter eight: Reunite and Party

The couple had almost fallen asleep when someone pounded enthusiastically on their door. They jumped out of bed, both out of shock and reflexes. Who could be visiting them at this hour? They kept quiet around the villages they visited so they wouldn't make friends. People didn't come knocking on their door. Kakashi threw her shirt and panties to Sakura before slipping his own pants on. He made his way to the door and opened it just a slit. His eyes widened more than they ever had.

Standing in front of him was no one else than Naruto. He grabbed him by the shirt and pratically threw him inside the room. Sakura yelped as she saw the man stumbled on the bed, stumbling around the room to find the rest of her clothes and trying her best to cover herself. He didn't know what she was trying to hide really, she was just missing her shorts.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?", he hissed to Naruto, whispering.

"Hey, don't get mad at me! I know no one would see me. Sage mode, you know!", he explained in the same tone as Kakashi. "I found these weird chakra tags on trees and whatnot and recognized Sakura's chakra in them. So I followed them here.", he added, turning to Sakura with a wide grin.

Shock and surprise weren't enough to describe what the girl felt right then. Thanks to his sage mode, Naruto had the ability to feel people's chakra even from far away. He must have been close enough to follow the trail of Blossom Imprimt she left and finally found them here. She squealed and threw herself at the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as she hugged him tight and pinned him to the bed with her body.

"I'm so happy to see you! I thought we'd lost you forever!", she exclaimed, letting go of him to watch him. He had grown a little too, he was slightly taller and his face just a tad more mature. Probably as mature as he'd ever look.

"I know! I'm so glad I found you guys. What were those chakra things anyway?", he asked, holding hands with Sakura as they fawned over whatever change they found in each other. "And why are you so fat, Sakura? I didn't think you'd be on to gain weight...", he questionned,s taring at the stomach.. The girl growled and punched him without restraint.

"It's a henge, you idiot! I still look the same!", he barked. Kakashi stood back, scratching the back of his head as he crinkled his eye.

"Guys, calm down. Those chakra tags as you called are Sakura's new detection jutsu. It registers the chakra of everyone who passes by them. It was how we intended to find you.", he explained, stepping closer to Sakura.

"Oh. I see. That's good, I wouldn't have found you otherwise.", Naruto let out, jumping up from the bed to take a better look at Kakashi and Sakura. He frowned after a little. "Why were you guys scrambling around for your clothes?", he questionned, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Uh, no reason. We just couldn't open the door in pajamas, now could we?", the kunoichi answered pathetically. The boy grinned widely, not believing a word of it.

"It's okay, guys. I understand. Couldn't keep your hands off each other for three years, huh?", he boasted, now crossing his arms behind his head. The two jonin stared at him openly, both unable to believe he just said it out loud so easily and how he made no big deal of it. He must've gotten a little wiser over the year because he didn't so oblivious anymore. That was strange.

"Uh, yeah. It's okay, really. Some odd couples were formed in the group. It's no big deal. We should get going though, they're waiting for us back there.", Naruto added when the other two stayed silent with their mouths pratically hanging open.

They packed their meager belongings in record time and they were back on the road, sprinting. Naruto then bothered to cast a henge on himself to make sure that anybody they might come across wouldn't recognize him. On the way, the three of them explained whatever had happened to them in the past three years. Sakura and Kakashi felt boring when they had barely anything to tell while the jinchuriki couldn't stop rambling.

Him and the other teams had regrouped and were now hiding in Kumogakure. They could live quietly there, as the Raikage had no intention of delivering them to the Hokage. His own brother was also a jinchuriki and the last thing he wanted was for Danzo to get everyone to hate them. They had enough military force right now to make Konoha cower in fear, so they didn't need to worry about being found out. It was great. They had done well in the past three years.

On the way there, Naruto updated them on everyone's status. The Naras were still back in Konoha, along with the rest of who decided to stay. Shizune, it turned out, had only followed Genma when she saw him flee the village. They were now officially a couple and were rarely seen without one another. Naruto and Hinata were actually expecting a baby. That was quite the shocker. Iruka and Ino had also taken a liking to each other, though they weren't actually a couple. It was just assumed that they would be sooner or later because of how easily he let himself be bossed around by the girl.

It took them only a day and a half to arrive to Kumo. As soon as they were near the gates, Naruto dropped his henge and shouted a greeting to the guards, who just smiled and nodded at them as they whizzed by.

"Everyone here has their own house. The Raikage has been really good to us! I had him get two appartment ready for you but I guess you won't need that many.", Naruto explained, grinning widely again as they made their way to their living quarters. The two jonins dropped their henges as well then, eyes softening a little as they saw their group approach.

The reunion was quite emotional, with many hugs and handshakes. Some tears and many laughs. Ino and Sakura had pratically crashed into another when they saw each other, squealing and whimpering how much they had missed one another. That night, the Raikage had thrown a party for them. Kumo was their safe haven. No one would get them here. He would keep them safe. It was then that Killer Bee was introduced. Him and Naruto had met on the road, and although at first sparks were flying between them, they now shared a close friendship thanks to the fact that they were both jinchuriki and that Naruto was just impossible not to like.

It had ended late, everyone had caught up with everyone, checked out Hinata's belly that was starting to protrude now that she was at her fourth month. She and Naruto had been too stupid to protect themselves well enough. He'd asked Shizune to help them, and she had, it just seemed like they did something wrong anyway. It wasn't so surprising, really.

Sakura flopped down on her bed as soon as she arrived, groaning in tiredness. Kakashi followed her soon, though he simply sat quietly on the bed, watching her with a warm smile. He'd taken off his mask along the way. It always made her heart flutter whenever she saw him without it. She knew that soon enough the novelty would wear off and it wouldn't so impressive anymore, but until then, she would enjoy every second of it. He stroked her hair tenderly, his eyes soft.

"I missed you, Sakura.", he let out as he lied down beside her. She smiled back, nodding.

"I missed you too, Kakashi-sensei.", she replied warmly. It felt so nice to be able to say one another's name without fear. To see the real person they knew, not a henge. It had been three long years since he'd last seen that beautiful pink hair and those vibrant green eyes. He pulled her in a tight embrace, kissing her temple a few times before he back up a little, starting to discard his clothes.

"Undress.", he ordered simply. She had been a little hesitant to comply, but did nonetheless. She kept her underwear on though, as he did. They cuddled closely on the bed, reveling in the feel of each other's body.

"I missed your body. It just wasn't the same when you were Tsumi.", he said softly, his hands roaming her body without any particular goal. He just wanted to feel her. She smiled, closing her eyes. He was right. Her own hands were stroking his chest and sides, though in her case it was the first time she ever felt his true body. She bit back a gasp when his hand traced her slit over her underwear.

"That didn't change though, hm?", he teased, a small grin on his lips. She blushed and tapped his chest lightly. He bit the inside of his cheek when he felt arousal tug at him. She hadn't disareed when he said she was his. He couldn't help but wonder if it was okay to take their relationship further. He'd waited for three goddamn years, after all.

"The other day, you said...", he started, fumbling around with the blanket a little before he pulled it over them. His hand trailed up her stomach to cup one of her breasts to her bra. "That you'd want me to...", he didn't finish his sentence, intstead focusing on removing her bra. He smirked she gasped as he played with one of her nipples, pinching it slightly. He was hesitating to finish his sentence. "Have my way with you.", he finished, though not with the crude words she had used. He wasn't sure if she would take it well.

He saw her blush brightly, obviously not as confident now that she wasn't the one in control and trying to seduce. She wasn't saying a word, so he decided to kiss her. It didn't matter what she would say. He wouldn't do anything he felt her uneasy about. He deepened the kiss, stroking her tongue with his sensually. She moaned in the kiss when he fondled her breast, making him close his eyes tight when he felt a rush of pleasure go down his spine. He was already hard and ready. It wasn't unexpected after the number of times he'd wanted her and just did nothing.

He rolled them over so he was now on top of her. He let go of her breast to lower his hand to her panties, playing with the hem of them. He pulled back from the kiss and watched her with a smirk. Her eyes met his, though without the same assurance. They certainly didn't beg him to stop though. He tugged them down quickly, throwing them to the side of the bed. He looked up at her again when her hands pulled at his boxers. He was a little surprised, but he didn't hesitate to lose them. His fingers teased her clit mercilessly. She groaned and gripped his shoulders, tensing a little under him.

He breathed a little harsher, getting impatient. He slid one finger through her folds, she was wet, definitely ready for him. He'd never had sex with a virgin. He wasn't entirely sure how to act properly, but he guessed he didn't have to be that different. This was his Sakura. It was okay. He parted her legs wider with his knee and lifted them up a little so that they hooked onto his hips. Sakura felt a little anxious, watching his unfocused eyes as he positioned her body the way he wanted it. She'd never seen him fidget like this before. He must've been a little unsure too.

"Are you okay?", he whispered, a little hesitant. She nodded with the hesitance. She didn't know if she could ever feel totally comfortable about losing her virginity, she felt as ready as she could be. She just hadn't expected it to be with her teacher when she had imagined it a few years back. He bit his lip, something that she found endearing, as he lowered himself to her, pressing the head of his manhood to her entrance carefully. It slipped in easily, fortunately. He groaned and shut his eyes and he buried himself in her to hilt.

Sakura moaned and hugged him tightly, frowning a little at the foreign sensations. It felt a little weird. She felt stretched and full, a completely unknown sensation. He gave her a little time to adjust before he started a slow pace, pulling it almost fully before going in completely again. She moaned loudly, surprised by how intense and good the sensations were. Noticing no negative reactions on her part, Kakashi sped up the pace, groaning himself whenever he felt his arousal spike.

Their lovemaking was a little short to his taste, but her soft cries as she came under him were too much for him right then. He grunted as he came with her, spilling his seed inside her. She gasped when she felt it, squirming a little under him. It was just more warmth spreading inside. It was strange, but she could definitely see herself getting addicted to this.

He dropped to her side, panting a little while he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. They both stayed silent while they caught their breath. Once she felt more rested, she looked up at him, eyes a little tired but nonetheless bright.

"That felt good, Kakashi-sensei...", she let out simply, scooting closer to him. He nodded, taking a deep breath. That was definitely something he'd missed. He had to admit that for a while he had been a little jealous of Asuma, who'd had Kurenai. It was one of the advantages of being in a couple. Sex was abundant.

"Was it? I thought you were moaning in pain.", he teased, pulling her on top of it and grabbing her butt shamelessly. She grinned, swatting his chest.

"Oh, quit messing around. How does it feel to take a girl's virginity?", she teased back, grinning widely.

"Hmm, I'd describe it as... Heavenly.", he answered, moving his hands to her arms to pull her down in an innocent kiss. After a little while of just cuddling like this, he remembered Hinata's condition and it scared him just a little.

"Sakura.", he called softly. She looked up at him lazily. "You've stopped your cycles ever since you left Konoha, right?", he asked hesitantly. He had said he would give her children if she wanted them, but he would really rather wait for a more stable situation. Her giggle reassured him.

"Yes, I haven't had my period in nearly four years. I'm not getting pregnant any time soon.", she answered, stroking his chest as lazily as she could. It felt nice to just relax and bask in each other's warmth after intimacy like this. This made her realize that he had far more experience than her though, and that she didn't know all that much about his past.

"How many women have you had, Kakashi-sensei?", she questionned hesitantly. He felt a little dread creep up inside of him. That felt like a trap question but evading it wouldn't give good results.

"Do you really want to know?", he threw back, watching her. She nodded. "About twenty. In ninteen years, I guess it adds up.", he replied relucantly, trying to make it sound better to her.

"That many?", she shot back, eyes widening a little.

"Yes. Most of them I've slept with only once or twice, though.", he added. He really wanted to change the subject. The last thing he wanted was to ruin this moment.

"So you haven't had sex that many times.", she noted out loud, counting mentally how many he had. "Around fifty times? In almost twenty years? That's a little over once every six months. You must feel depraved, you poor old man.", she teased back, grinning. He sighed in relief. This was why he wanted her to be older before engaging in a relationship with her. She knew better than to expect to be his one and only.

"Approximately, yes. Ninja don't usually get the opportunity to do it often, sadly. I was hoping you'd help bring the count up big time though.", he teased, grinning. She loved it when he grinned. It made him look a little boyish, less manly. It was funny. Kakashi was far from a boy, everything about him radiated manliness, but without his mask, some of his expressions made him look much younger and cocky.

"You'd better make it worth my while if I help you with that.", she teased back, fingers tracing his jawline.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll shower you with gifts and children in exchange.", he replied, making large gestures with his hand to emphasize his point. She laughed whole heartedly and locked her eyes with him, both of them full of playfulness and even, if she dare say, happiness. They made each other happy. That was the most important, right?

"We'd better get to sleep.", he chastised after a little while though, easing her off of him so that they could face each other. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.", he said, holding her hand between them. She nodded, deciding not to complain.

He was right, the next day was full of events. Full of petting Hinata's belly some more, talking with Shizune to keep each other up to date on anything medical, Genma teasing Kakashi mercilessly when he noticed how close him and Sakura were. Full of many things, but especially a feeling of ease. A feeling that came with being surrounded with those you loved and feeling no danger, even if just for a little.

They had spent the day enjoying everyone and having fun, but once dusk fell, they all regrouped to talk about their strategy towards Danzo. No one had come across much information, so their plans hadn't been updated. No one really knew what to do. The only lead they had was that he hid something under his bandages. That was all that they had.

"Maybe Sasuke knows something.", Sakura said softly. Everyone looked at her curiously. "When he attacked the village, he was going after Danzo when me and Kakashi intercepted him. He wanted something from him, that much we know. So maybe if we could find Sasuke, he'd have some info on him that we could use.", she explained, staring at the floor. It was their only option. She didn't want to see him ever again, but there was nothing else to do.

"The last time we met him, he broke your leg.", Kakashi let out, frowning. He obviously didn't want to see him again. "I guess he is our only hope, though.", he let out with a sigh and raking his fingers through his hair.

"I think you're right. We need to find Sasuke.", Naruto cut in, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't any happier about having to side with the enemy. What else could be done?

"I heard he was sighted near Suna last week.", Ino added, fidgeting with her fingers. No one was happy about it.

"Then we'll go after him. We need to find him.", Kakashi threw back. He looked around the room. Everyone was uneasy, but he knew he could count on Sakura to join him. It was up to Naruto. The boy stared at the floor for a while before nodding.

"Okay. We'll okay. Old Team 7 will get back together for this mission.", he announced, his voice lacking enthusiasm. Four years ago, they would've been thrilled to go find their friend, but now they all knew that he was a lost cause and that no one could do anything for him. They needed to kill him before he did anymore damage.

It was agreed that in three days, Sakura and Kakashi would leave to find Sasuke. Naruto was needed to lead the rest, and they had the most stable identites. In the mean time, the Raikage would use his connections to try and gather information on the missing nin. From what he already knew, many of Konoha's ANBU had been sent out after him. Many more than was normal. It seemed that Sasuke really did know something compromising for Danzo.

The three days were speent planning ahead, evaluting how they should deal with Sasuke. Though Kakashi knew all that they were currently saying would be useless, he nonetheless acted as if it was important. He knew that Sakura wouldn't admit to feeling unable to face him. He was aware of it though, and they would change the plans a tid bit after to fit her needs.

On the dawn of said day, they headed out of the gates, walking quietly with their henges already up. As soon as he was sure they were far away from their friends, he placed a hand gently on one of her shoulders. She looked up at him, her eyes much softer than they'd been just fifteen minutes ago. It pained him to see her like that, to know that she had to face this.

"What do you want to do?", he asked softly, tightening his hold on her shoulder a little.

"I don't know. I can't back out.", she replied, looking away and biting her lip.

"I wouldn't let you.", he let out firmly. He knew he couldn't allow her to do that, it would hurt her more in the end. That much was obvious to him. She needed to face her fears.

"Just let me handle it, okay?", she asked, sounding far too unsure for her liking.

"I'll be there. Don't forget that.", he said, nodding in agreement to her question. He trusted her, she would be fine. This time he would be there to back her up as he should have. They would fight together, not seperately. Ever since she had caught him off-guard in the ANBU HQ with her last second plan, he'd had a new admiration for her strategy skills.

It was a long two days of quiet and uneventfulness. It was nice to be in peace for a while, but it got boring pretty quickly for two ninjas. The Raikage had figured out that Sasuke was hiding in Amegakure while he nursed injuries from his previous fight with Killer Bee, just a week prior. The injuries he sustained had been major, so he probably wouldn't move much for the following month or two. He would have been dead if it hadn't been for the medic that travelled with him.

Sakura tensed up as she felt someone approaching, fast. Definitely ninja. Kakashi remaiend relaxed though, which made her wonder. Was it someone they knew? It was a few more seconds before she was able to recognize the chakra signature, and she grinned. It wasn't long before an ANBU operative jumped out from the trees. She recognized him as root agent immediately, but wasn't scared. It was Sai. He stopped near them.

"Travellers, have you seen two ninjas lately, a male and a female?", he questionned evenly, his tone giving no indication as to what he intended to do with them.

"Would they happen to have pink hair and silver hair?", Sakura replied, barely able to contain her giggles.

"Yes, they do.", he replied, though she noticed he tensed up a little.

"It's been a long time, Sai. I'm happy to see you.", she finally let out, pulling him in a tight hug. Kakashi remained aloof at their side, though his eye softened and let everyone know that he was just as glad as her to see their teammate.

"Sakura? Is that you?", he replied, pushing his mask out of the way. She nodded, a little too enthusiastic. "Kakashi-sensei?", he said, turning to the other man. The black-haired man nodded. Sai pried Sakura away from him a little awkwardly, obviously still uncomfortable with human contact.

"I'm glad to find you safe and sound.", he said, his voice even but she knew he was being honest and that what he had said was an understatement to what he actually felt. He was just clueless as to how to express it. Being under Danzo's command for the past three years couldn't have helped his social skills.

"On what mission are you, so far away?", Kakashi asked after a few seconds.

"To find you. I was given the order to travel until I found you or Sasuke.", he answered, looking straight in Kakashi's eye.

"That's good. You can join us then, we're looking for Sasuke.", he said, nodding. They started walking together, their pace slow.

"Perfect. No one is following me, Danzo trusts me as one of his closest. He believes me to be his right arm man, he said. I have no idea what that means.", Sai said, shrugging his shoulders in exasperation.

"It means he trusts you entirely, he doesn't think you can betray him.", Sakura explained, unable to hep the smirk from appearing on her face. This was good.

"Oh. But I've been betraying him for the past six years. Is he blind?", he replied incredulously. Like he couldn't believe that the Hokage had been unable to see his close bond to his new teammates.

"Danzo doesn't believe that root's mind-erasing process can be reversed.", Kakashi cut in, chuckling at how self-absorbed Danzo was. The man was too confident. It was their only advantage on him, really. He smirked as a naughty thought crossed his mind. He moved his... His girlfriend's side? He didn't even know how to call her now. It seemed to make sense that he call her that, it just felt a little weird. He held her arm softly before pulling her closer to him, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

Sai stared. Sai was confused. Sai was annoyed. Sai felt many things, but his face remained passive. Sometimes, he really wished that he knew how to express those feelings, instead of just having them inside of him. They felt uselses that way. As usual, he tried his best to word those odd things.

"Last time you said you were not a couple. Did things change while I was gone?", he questionned, cocking his head to the side. Sakura was frowning at the man who held her. This certainly hadn't been the way she'd hoped to break the news to her friend. The jonin seemed to take sadistic pleasure in letting her handle it, though. She did the best she could without making an idiot of herself.

"Uh... Yeah, they did.", she started, hesitantly. "We are... a couple now?", she continued, glancing up at her lover as if seeking confirmation.

"How is that possible? You were so adamant about being only Kakashi-sensei's friend.", he added, frowning. It was cute to see him try so hard to give convincing facial expressions. But right now, he looked more like he was squinting to see something far away.

"People and feeling change, Sai. Nothing is set in stone.", she explained as best as she could, shrugging her shoulders. The boy turned to his senior, staring at him for a while.

"How can you go have sex with Ugly?", he let out, truly convinced that his female friend was believed to be ugly. He didn't find that true, personally. She had grown to be a woman he appreciated to look at, but Naruto had convinced him that she wasn't. Poor little Sai didn't know it was just a prank so that Sakura would beat him. Even so many years later. Kakashi coughed, feeling his partner's anger flare.

"She is beautiful. Stop believing what Naruto says all the time. Ugly people have sex anyway too. It isn't all about looks.", he replied, scratching the back of his neck. He might have liked to read porn in public, but he'd always felt incredibly uncomfortable discussing it. Talking about that. He dearly missed his precious book. He had left them back home before leaving and hadn't had the heart to spend their hard-earned money on something so frivolous.

"I see. Why did Naruto lie to me? I read that friends don't lie to each other.", he shot back, fists balling at his sides. It really was frustrating to him to be unable to understand other people. In the past three years, it had become harder and harder, with the lack of contact with others. It was hard to be natural with something that you didn't experience often. He still read a lot, but he was starting to believe that the books lied to him as well.

"It wasn't a lie. It was a joke. To get Sakura mad, in a fun way, so that she would beat you to a pulp for everyone to share a moment of friendly closeness.", the older man replied, making everything as clear as possible, though he felt ridiculous with his choice of words. Sai seemed to relax though.

"I understand. He was doing it so that we would all be closer. It's like an inside joke? Something only the friends will understand?", he replied curiously, his fingers stretching a little after they let go of their tense position.

"Yes. Exactly. Now let's keep going.", the Copy Nin announced, starting a brisk pace.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The second part of this story if starting now. O: I hope you guys will like how it turns out. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter nine: One, two, three...

The week it took to reach Ame couldn't have felt shorter to Sakura. She had spent most of it thinking over what strategy she would use against Sasuke. He wouldn't side with them so easily, that much was certain. They had to be able to incapacitate him in battle so that they could drag him back to Kumo. That was going to be troublesome, to say the least. Her only source of information right now was Kakashi. He had a sharingan, so he could help her. But in the end, his best advice stayed to just not look at his eyes.

She needed more than that. She couldn't fight like him and Gai, just watching his feet. She wouldn't be fast enough to decipher it and react well enough. She needed something else. Her mind remained completely blank for nearly the whole week. An idea had sparked in her mind only after the sixth day, she remembered the one piece of information that she soon elaborated in a plan. She wasn't sure if it was going to be enough, but it would have to suffice.

On the day that they reached the outskirts of the border, she thought out the last of the details. She was set on how to battle him, as well as on how to get him to come with them. She felt like a traitor. She wished that it wasnt this way that he would be following them. She didn't love the Uchiha anymore, he had commited too many unforgivable deeds for her to go to him. She just wished he could give up and come back. It would be so simple. She knew that no everyone would easily accept it, but she, Naruto and Kakashi would welcome him with open arms. They were always ready to be his home.

That was, until now. It was Konoha or Sasuke. The choice was easy, she tried to convince herself. She couldn't betray an entire village just for the selfish desire of keeping a friend close to her. A friend who had tried to kill her. To kill her lover. That would destroy everything she stood for. Pain still clawed at her when she thought of it, of how it had all turned out. Soon, it would be over. It had to end. She couldn't let Naruto keep the weight of all the promises he had made. She had to help, to share his burden. It was decided.

"Do whatever it takes for him to side with us.", Sakura stated, pratically out of the blue as she turned to Kakashi. He frowned a little, unsure of what she was planning. She hadn't said a word about her preparations. She had refused to. Either because she wanted to be alone or because she had no idea, he was curious.

"What are you planning, Sakura? You need to tell us now.", he replied, stopping and grabbing one of her shoulders to make her face him. She immediately looked away from him, her eyes determined with something he couldn't name.

"Kakashi. Sakura.", a voice sounded, even and calm. Their heaps whipped around to see Sasuke standing about twenty meters away from them. How had he found them so easily? Sakura tried to keep her breath even, readying herself for the fight.

She lost no time. She wasn't ready, she was a ready as she could be. Today, she would show him that she had become a great ninja. A ninja that he couldn't ignore, everyone would realize it. Kakashi had seen her progress, but he hadn't seen it all. She kept her secrets, like he did. It was no good to show everyone all of your little tricks and knowledge.

She ran towards Sasuke, watching his feet as he was supposed to. She needed to engage in a physical fight. He didn't budge. He reacted only when she was pratically an arrm's length away. He sliced the air where her hip had been, but she was already to his side. Her speed had increased drastically, but she wasn't showing all of it yet. He almost knicked her. She would let him believe he had every advantage. Then he could make mistakes and she would get her opening.

He gave a few more hits before she managed to knock the weapon out of his hand with her own. She stayed still for a second, staring at his feet. She couldn't miss. She would win this time. He tried to back away, probably to use one his fire ninjutsus, but she was following him closely, aiming punches she knew would miss. She couldn't injure too much either, he would be useless to them. If she didn't make her hits strong enough, he would suspect something.

She aimed a punch at his feet, creating a small crater where he'd stood just half a second ago. She was open to attack. He was aiming a swift punch to her head while she was low. She felt the air move above her head and it was then or never. Her hand flew to his fist, grabbing it and forcing her fingers to entangle with his. Her palm was against his. She felt nostalgia tug at her heart. How many times she had wanted to hold his hand.

She felt his large hand twich. It worked. Now was her chance. Her needle had pierced his skin and the liquid in the tiny vial cleverly hidden between her palms had emptied into his bloodstream. His reactions would be slowed for the next few seconds. She had been lucky enough to come across a plant that was used as a paralyzer in their travel to Ame. There hadn't been enough to use successfully even on a rabbit, but it would be enough to make him slow. Just for a few seconds. Her head whipped up as she freed her hand and pressed both of them against his eyes. She breathed out, focusing her chakra to her palms as she silent wished for it to work.

It was all theory. She had never tested it. If it didn't work, then she might die in the following minute. She was pratically on her knees, completely open to any attack as soon as he was free of the poison. For a split second, her hopes fleeted. She was believing that she would be unable to fight the right chakra paths in his eyes. That she was too weak, too stupid. It was so brief, so small against the next train of thoughts that assaulted her mind. Konoha. Kakashi. Naruto. Sai. Tsunade. Shizune. She was fighting for them. She couldn't be weak. She had to win. She would come back to them, and this time, she would be the one to be celebrated. She would be the one to help everyone.

Her eyes fluttered closed as her precious time was over and Sasuke gripped her wrists painfully, forcing them away form his eyes. She opened them to watch him, eyes wide with fear. With terror. She had never been so scared. If she failed, she was about to experience Tsukuyomi. He would make her feel death over and over again, he would torture her.

Kakashi had watched, tense and ready to jump in, for the whole fight. Even though it felt like forever, he knew it had barely been two minutes. His most dangerous fights had been his shortest. It was the fights where one hit would kill you. It was even odds between who would win. Who would get the only hit in. He had watched in horror when Sakura sunk to the ground, her hands flying to Sasuke's head. Nothing seemed to happen. It was as if time stopped for them, for just a few seconds. He didn't hesitate to go to her, sprinting full speed. He couldn't let Sakura suffer through Tsukuyomi. He knew what it was like, after all.

He faltered just for split second when he heard Sasuke grunt loudly in pain, his hands shooting up to cover his eyes. What had just happened? Sakura seemed just as surprised as he was, though he knew she was completely aware of everything that was going on. She had went in this fight without even knowing if her fucking plan was even feasible. He'd definitely have to talk with her after this. It was dangerous, it was unconscious, stupid... Something he had done several times.

"Kakashi! Now!", she shouted, jumping away from the missing nin. He took the cue, halting a foot away from Sasuke, grabbing his hands and pulling them away from his head so he could look into his eyes. His sharingan started spinning, casting a genjutsu on the young man before him.

They were nowhere. It was pure white, though it didn't hurt the eyes. It was just peaceful. Sasuke attempted many times to attack his former sensei, but it was useless. This was all an illusion. All a trick in his mind. He backed away, glaring at the older man, tense and unable to figure out what they wanted from him. He knew that they had all given up on bringing him back. All but Naruto. That idiot.

"We'll help you.", Kakashi finally declared. The Uchiha watched him suspiciously.

"You wouldn't do such a thing against Konoha.", he spat back, bitterness thick in his voice.

"We need to get Danzo out of the way. You're the only one who he sees as enough of a threat.", he continued, his eyes never leaving his ex-student.

"And after? What if I helped you? You'd kill me? I don't see what's in it for me.", the boy shot back, snickering.

"I'll give you something precious. You'll walk out a free man. You know, weakness and emotions, all that stuff you hate. I can't kill you unless you're trying to kill what I love.", Kakashi threw back in his usual aloof tone, shrugging his shoulders.

"What could you possibly have that I don't, old man?", he replied, full of confidence. Of arrogance.

"A good eye.", the man answered, tapping his left eye. He was fully aware that Sasuke's vision had dimmed. He surely still saw well enough, but he knew the boy overused his sharingan. He would go blind soon enough. Sasuke remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out if it was just a bait or the truth.

"I have a hard time believing you'd let go of it.", he said bluntly, hands on his hips.

"If you accept to spare what's precious to me, then it's nothing.", Kakashi replied truthfully. His sharingan meant nothing if he lost Sakura and Naruto. Sai, and all the other. It was a constant and painful reminder of the mistakes he had done. Its bad karma would fit well with Sasuke.

"It's so easy, then? Kick Danzo out, get a sharingan?", he questionned as if the idea was a game or something.

"I can kill you with or without it. The sharingan isn't what makes me powerful.", Kakashi spoke evenly, with certainty. Even without his eye, he would kill Sasuke if he had to. He had been a jonin before he had received it. People tended to forget who he really was, without the sharingan.

"If you think so, old man. Alrighty then, I'll take care of your problem and you give me that eye. I'm sure you'll go through with it, can't let Sakura down, hm?", he scoffed, smirking. He knew what was between them. How was a mystery, but it didn't matter. He couldn't take the chance of losing Sakura. It was an honest deal

He dispelled the genjutsu down, watching as Sasuke fell to his knees, disoriented for a brief moment. Everyone was on edge. Sai, who had been watching quietly, as Kakashi had ordered him to do, was starting to get annoyed. He wanted in on the action, too. Plus, he didn't get a thing of what was happening. He got the gist of it. He wanted to know the details now. What had Sakura done to Sasuke to cause him such pain? Why was Kakashi casting a genjutsu on him? He sighed in exasperation. Kakashi was somewhat relaxed. That meant things were okay.

Sakura had been incredibly anxious as she waited for Kakashi to get through to Sasuke. She didn't know if he'd succeed. That part of her plan was entirely up to him. She trusted he'd come up with something. He knew how to manipulate people perfectly, better than her. She had no idea what had happened, in the same way they had been clueless to what she had done to Sasuke in the first place.

The answer was simple. Her complete plan, for her part, was to disable Sasuke's sharingan. She did so with the poison, then, thanks to her experience as a medic, she injected her own chakra in his eyes, to block his own from accessing them. She had discovered while healing Kakashi's sharingan that it reacted badly a foreign chakra. Leaving some of her chakra in his eyes made it impossible for Sasuke to his it, both because of the excruciating pain and the fact that it served as a barrage against his own chakra. She assumed that if he could keep going through the pain that he'd break it down after a while, though. They didn't have forever with such an advantage on him.

The trip back to Kumo was awkward and tense, to say the least. Was it even possible for it be any better when you had a missing nin in tow? He refused to speak another word to them, except for a quick agreement between himself and Kakashi that the others weren't to know what he offered him in exchange for his help. If he did, he wouldn't receive the sharingan.

Kakashi had a new kind of resentment towards the Uchiha. The whole trip, Sakura had barely stayed by his side. It was as if she wanted to avoid showing him that they were more than friends now. It annoyed him. Did she still feel for the boy? He was pretty sure she didn't, but you never knew with her. Maybe she was just being nostalgic. Whatever it was, he was itching to know.

As soon as they were sighted outside the outskirts of the village, nearly every shinobi who wasn't on duty had gathered to the entrance. It wasn't everyday that you saw the last Uchiha. Or a missing nin, even, but they roamed freely every day here anyway. Everyone had remained so silent. It was creepy. It was obvious why. Naruto was looking at his old friend straight in the eyes, trying to evaluate him. The black-haired boy didn't react, he ignored him and glanced at everyone who was there. Most of them he didn't have to fear, but he was sure the rest would be willing to kill him in his sleep. He'd have to be on guard.

"Sasuke.", the blonde called softly, frowning.

"Naruto.", the other answered, evenly an without feeling. There was a long pause after their greeting. Sakura was wondering if she should hover her hand above her kunai, just in case. She assumed that there was nothing much to fear right now, though. They were well surrounded, he'd be crazy to try and kill anyone right now.

"It's nice to see you again, man.", the jinchuriki added, scratching the back of his head as he approached his ex-teammate. He held his hand out for him to shake. It made the girl's eyes soften. It was heartbreaking to see their reunion, because she knew that it wouldn't go as her best friend had wished. He would be disappointed.

"Leave me alone. I'm not here to make friends with you, I have a deal with Kakashi and that's it.", he replied as he turned to glance at the older male. Naruto's hand went back down to his side hesitantly. His head lowered to stare at the ground. Sakura could tell he was about to speak again, fight what Sasuke had become to try and salvage what he had once been. It was useless. Orochimaru was the perfect example. He'd been so obsessed with knowledge that it had been hopeless for the other two Sannin to try to geat their teammate back. He died a traitor, a friend that few had the compassion to wish he had turned out differently.

"We'll head for his new living quarters. You two will have time to catch up tonight.", Kakashi cut before he started leading his team deeper in the village. The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to start fighting.

The rest of the evening was rather quiet. Sasuke had refused to come out of their shared room to see everyone, so they preferred to stay there. They couldn't let him out of their sight. The medic feared that if they did, he would either run away and scare some other poor medic into curing the state of his eyes, or that he'd try and kill Naruto to bully her into reversing it. She had to admit she was getting a bit tired of staring at the wall besides Kakashi, trying to ignore the other male in the room. His presence was omnious, to say the least.

"Go and have a chat with Ino or something.", the jonin finally let out, certainly not oblivious to her state.

"Okay.", she replied without hesitation. She knew Kakashi would be able to deal with the missing nin should anything happen. Without his sharingan, Sasuke wasn't as fearsome. He didn't wasn't to be taken lightly, but she had a feeling that their deal would keep Kakashi safe. She didn't know what it was yet, but it had to be something out of the ordinary to keep their ex-teammate this docile.

She hadn't taken long to reach Ino's room, it was just a few doors down the hall. The Raikage had built this complex to house their newcomers, offering them a large room each with common kitchens and washrooms. It wasn't all that bad, really. It wasn't an appartment, but you didn't spit on generosity. He had been nice enough to welcome them when wherever else they would have been handed on a silver platter to the Hokage.

Ino had opened her door to her right after the third knock, as if she'd known she was coming. She welcomed her in immediately, stepping to the side to allow her the space. Her room was quite sober, which bothered Sakura. Her friend was outgoing and cheerful, it wasn't like her to have such a normal living space. She assumed that she simply didn't have the money to afford such frivolities. In times like this, you didn't care much about what your living space looked like. She had spent so many nights in horrible inns that smelled like sewers. They couldn't afford better.

"You have to tell me what's going with Kakashi! You refused to last time, but now I won't let you get away with it, Forehead!", she exclaimed, the second the door was closed, her arms flailing wildly at her sides. Ino and gossip. She should have known better.

"I-I don't know, just what do you want me to tell you, Pig?", she replied, unsure, as she sat down on her bed. Her hand folded together in her lap, though she fidgeted a little. She really didn't know what to answer. They were a couple, she guessed. It just sounded so weird. Unnatural.

"Well, are you two together or what?", she added, hands on her hips as she bent down to Sakura's level.

"Yeah, I guess so.", was her simple answer. He had said he would marry and give her children if he could, right? She felt deeply for him, felt like a life with him was definitely possible, should things stabilize and get back to normal.

"Spill it, girl! Did he pop your cherry yet?", she questionned insistenly, wide smirk on her face.

"Pig! That's none of your business!", the girl replied, her face now the same color as her hair. Ino's smirk widened even more, if that was possible.

"Oh, you did it! I can't believe my little Sakura has finally blossomed.", she added between snickers. "How was he? Was it nice? When was it anyway?", she continued, wanting to know every detail. Sakura had long given up on trying to avoid Ino's interrogations. It never went well, because her friend never let go. It was like some sort of unending cycle of life between them. Nothing would stay under silence.

"Yeah, it was great. I think. I mean, we've only done it once like two weeks ago. It was the day we came back here.", the kunoichi replied, frowning and looking at Ino as if searching for answers.

"What? You guys have been all alone for three years, and you've done it just last week? What the hell, Forehead!", the blonde shrieked, looking her way as if she was some sort of alien.

"Pig! Keep the volume down a little, for Kami's sake!", she hissed back, throwing her hands up in slight desperation. She didn't know what to answer her. She didn't want to give every little detail of their romance. It was theirs. She wanted to talk about it, but she didn't like giving every little detail of their intimacy. "We've been really close all along, it just got more... Official then, if you want to call it that. I don't even know what kind of relationship we have anyway."

"So, does that mean that Kakashi is free to roam and sample other girls? You're okay with that?", her friend asked, an eyebrow arched high. It made her pause and think a little. Did it mean that? Did they even need to tell each other not to visit anyone else's bed? To her, it had been somewhat automatic when he'd admitted to liking her a little to much that they should be loyal to one another. Maybe Kakashi didn't see it that way.

"I don't think so. I mean, he sort of said he'd marry me so it would be weird if he thought he could go around and bed any woman he wanted...", she replied, staring at her feet. She didn't feel comfortable having to talk to Kakashi about this. She wished it was simpler, really. As much as she liked him, she didn't want their relationship to become complicated with such engagements. She just wanted to be with him. He seemed to want to be with her. It should end there. Some day if nature wanted it, she might get pregnant.

It scared her to think about such a thing. She was twenty. Many women were settled down and already pregnant at her age. It was much less common among ninjas. It happened later, if at all, like for Kurenai. In the thirties. In Hinata's case, it was an accident. It shouldn't happen. If she was to be pregnant at Kurenai's age... What was it, thirty? Then Kakashi would be nearly forty-five. Was that old to have children? Would he want them sooner? She didn't even know if he wanted them at all. It made her giddy to imagine him as a a father though. It just seemed so unrealistic that it was funny. It was also cute, though. She wondered if he would be a loving father, or one who would stay distant and give praise only when their little ninjas would master a new jutsu.

"He said what? I never imagined Kakashi as the kind to want to settle down. I guess everyone does when they find the right one.", she murmured, eyes looking up in thought. It obviously surprised her, but it left Sakura feeling the same. Ino was forcing to think about all of this far too much for her taste. Did she love Kakashi? Were they made for one another? She had pratically stopped believing these soul mates things. The thing that nagged her the most was what her lover was thinking of all of this. She highly doubted he saw this as a fling, it was impossible. He wouldn't have told her all these things then. He wouldn't have waited so long to bed her.

The two girls talked for a few more hours, sharing dinner in their room. Ino had updated her on everything that had happened in her life. At least, everything that she hadn't been able to tell her because of the presence of every of their other friends at their previous meetings. She'd had a fling with Kiba, who was apparently quite the beast in bed. The wording, in her opinion, was quite bad, but if her friend was happy, then so be it. She had also been involved for a while with a Kumo nin, but in the end he had called off their affair because he didn't want to be involved with a missing nin. It made sense.

Kakashi and Sasuke hadn't remained silent for long after the girl's departure. The second her footsteps were beyong earshot, the younger male had spoken up.

"When did it start between you and her?", he asked evenly, only glancing at his companion.

"That's none of your business.", the other replied simply, not wishing to take this conversation any further.

"I never thought she would grow out of her infatuation with me. I didn't expect her to shift it over to you. Aren't you a bit old for her?", he continued, still not betraying anything he might feel.

"She did long ago. She's a smart woman. Her choice of partners doesn't concern you.", he shot back. His voice was a little too possessive for his liking, but maybe he would back off soon.

"Possessive, aren't you? She's become quite a fine woman. Maybe I should start considering her to rebuild my clan.", he continued, though this time, he had a small smirk on his face. He was smug, believing that he could get her attention any time he desired. That his Sakura would always love him. His voice was taunting, as if trying to get him to react.

Maybe he wanted a fight. Whatever he wanted, Kakashi wasn't about to give in. He didn't mind the small chat, but it wouldn't go anywhere. As much as he wanted to make it clear that the woman in question was his and no one else's, that he was convinced her mind wouldn't change so easily, it nagged him. They weren't exactly an official couple. He knew that he loved her, that much was clear to him now. It was clearer every day, with every smile that she flashed at him, but he wasn't sure what her feelings were.

She had been distant the whole week it took them to come back to Kumo. Even before, on the way to Ame. She had been so into her thoughts that they had barely spoken to one another. He was starting to wonder if it was really anxiety at having to fight Sasuke that had kept her so withdrawn, or if it was something else. If she still had feelings for the boy, then that might have been bothering her as well. Either could explain her behavior.

"If you lay a finger on her, I'll make sure you can't ever have children. ", the jonin threatened, his voice quiet and even. The other male didn't doubt that he would back his threat, but it didn't scare him in the least.

"I'll have her if I want. She was ready to become a missing nin with me once. I have no doubt I could get her to do it all over again with the right choice of words.", Sasuke said confidently. Kakashi knew he was just riling him up, but it was still getting to him. It reached deep down to these little insecurities he hadn't settled with Sakura.

"I thought you believed her to be too weak and stupid.", Kakashi shot back. His tone didn't let his anger seep through, he was calm and even.

"Don't you think the last fight proved otherwise?", he said matter-of-factly.

It was true. She had surprised him for the first time by injecting him with her concoction back in Konoha so he wouldn't be suspected, and now with this. The whole idea had been quite brilliant. Catching an enemy alive was about the most dangerous thing you could do. They fought to kill while you had to hold your hits. Her plan had been flawless, and Sasuke hadn't seen through it one second. She had been perfect. She was truly an amazing ninja now. She deserved her jonin title every little bit.

It just left him to wonder if she had overcome her love for the Uchiha. Did her heart still ache for him?

A/N: Wow, this was tough to write. The whole thing went along pretty well, but I've been working for six days in a row. I've had a really hard time sleeping, too. Thinking too much about how this should go. I couldn'r write because I was so tired all the time. xD I'm glad I finally finished it though. Updates will probably slow a little. More hours at work and I just bought FFXI to play with my boyfriend, so my free time will be less plenty. :D


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hm, having a hard time coming up with the rest of this story. Action scenes aren't my forte. xD I'm hoping to focus more on what my little couple is feeling and doing. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter ten: In my Head

Not long after Sakura had returned to her new living space, Sai and Naruto had come to take Sasuke with them. It was their turn to keep an eye on him. It was the first time in a couple weeks that she and Kakashi were finally alone together. Without henges, too. That was great. She felt relief wash over when she heard the click of the door, signaling it was closed and locked behind the three men that had just left.

Kakashi almost immediately reached for her hand, smiling on the inside as he felt how soft her skin was. He laced their fingers together and tugged at her hand carefully, pulling her to him. He set his free hand on her hip to guide her down to sit on his lap, back towards him. He nuzzled the back of her neck affectionally, breathing in her scent. It was always a bit strange to him that she didn't smell the same as back in Konoha. Her favorite shampoo and soap weren't available here. In another way, it made him feel warm on the inside, as he recalled a particular memory. Back when they were living together in their dear city, she had changed them as well. They had smelled like honey then. It almost made him that he was getting this mushy over her, but then it another way, it felt nice. It felt normal.

Sakura was quiet in his lap, comfortable and relaxed where she was. His chest was pressed softly against her back, his wamrth envelopping her. The hand that held hers was still, simply keeping a firm hold on her fingers. The other that was still on her hip fidgeted a little, alternating between light tapping and slow massaging. His breathing was slow and even against her neck, which made her relax more. They were alone. They were together. She shivered slightly when she heard him remove her mask and received light kisses to the side of her neck. She let out a long breath, leaning back into him and unconsciously pressing her hips down on his lap.

The hand on her hip gripped her hip tightly, keeping her still. He had really wanted to take the time to speak with her about all that had happened in the past week, talk about what she felt for him, for the Uchiha, even about how she had went in the fight without being fully prepared, but right then, all he could focus on was her company. Silent and warm company. He couldn't bring himself to break this moment because he felt close to her then. He believing that they were in their own little world. It was such a comfortable thought. A place he'd love to know actually existed and that would stay undisturbed.

A streak of boldness hit Sakura right then. She didn't know why, but right now she just wanted to be as close to him as possible. It was a desire that was invading her every thought, rudely pushing away anything else that was trying to sneak into her mind. She closed her eyes, lips parting slightly, and pushing back against his hand, pressing her rear firmly against his crotch. Her back arched just a little, enough to allow her to lean her head onto his shoulders. She felt him release a somewhat strained breath against her temple, making her grin. Her free hand brushed down his thigh, stopping at the middle and grasping it loosely. Her heartbeat sped up, feeling a rush of adrenaline. She knew what they would be doing in the next few minutes. It thrilled her to be able to arouse Kakashi, to get his full attention like this.

Kakashi wouldn't have it that way though. He pressed his lips to her neck in a somewhat agressive kiss, his chest rumbling against her back in what seemed to be a low growl. He didn't hesitate to hook his hand under her knee and lifted it up so that her foot rested on the edge of the bed. He smirked as she hissed when he continued his assault on her neck. Maybe he would let her take control of one of their sessions later on, but right now he wanted to lead. He wanted to show her what he could make her feel.

His other hand slowly made its way from her hip up to one of her breasts, fondling it gently through her t-shirt. She hadn't worn a bra that day, he noticed. She hummed lowly, deciding to let her body go limp in his hold. He could take control if he was going to make her feel good like this. The last time, he had been too impatient to make their encounter last, just wanting to finally have her to himself after so long. This time, he would take his time. He wanted to feel every inch of her, memorize her body and hear her moan his name over and over again.

A little part of him argued that he was doing this for incredibly selfish reason, but he ignored it. It didn't matter to him right now wether he just wanted her to love his touch or to force her to think of him and only him. He didn't want to acknowledge that his desire for her right now stemmed more from claiming her as his than to express his love for her. He nibbled the side of her jaw while the hand on her chest lowered to her belly, only to come back up but this time under her shirt. She breathed in sharply when he played with her hardened nipple, making her squirm in his lap. He bit down on his tongue when he felt himself harden against her rear, taking a second to appreciate how said read felt against him.

He chuckled when she gasped, having obviously felt what was happening in his pants. He was sure she was in no way a prude, but she was definitely inexperienced. It didn't bother him in the least. It would be interesting to see her reaction to every little thing he would show her with time. She tried to move to lay on the bed, thinking it would be more comfortable, but he refused to let her move, holding her in place firmly.

"We're not going anywhere.", he growled in her ear, taking the opportunity to nip at it a little. Her struggling didn't last, she relaxed in his arms almost immediately and relented control to him once again. She didn't have any will to fight him right now, she was already getting a little desperate for more. He seemed to be set on the little attentions today though. She would enjoy every second of it. She couldn't let it go to waste after all. She whimpered a little as he removed her shirt, shifting uncomfortably as the cold air of the room cooled her heated skin. The warmth of his hands was quickly back onto her skin, stroking between her breasts playfully.

He trailed the fingers of one of his hand up to her collarbone, then down to her ribs, repeating the process painfully slowly and several times. Her head was settled comfortably against his shoulder, her eyes closed, lips apart and panting slightly. She was definitely just relaxing and enjoying every of his touches. It made his male ego swell a little to see her like this, but he didn't linger on it very long. His eyes shifted back to her body, admiring her nake breasts for a little. They were small, but he thought it fitted her perfectly. She was definitely most beautiful in her subtleness to his eyes. Her flashy hair and bright eyes attracted the attention first, but it was the little and subtle details that charmed him. It was the soft curves of her hips, the way her lips curved into sexy smiles just for him, how she overused her arms while she spoke, or even how when she walked, her hips swayed gently. She didn't attract attention through outrageous curves and flirty behavior. She was simply beautiful, and that hooked him.

His own breath quickened and he felt a rush of pleasure go down his spine, just thinking about every little detail of her body that he loved. All the times he had pleasured her without receiving anything. How she was sitting on him, sprawled comfortably without a hint of guilt at receiving so much attention from him while she gave none. It didn't bother him in the least, because he was certain that she would return every of his attentions once he let her take control.

He fought a little to get rid of her shorts and panties without letting her off of him, but nonetheless managed to without changing their positions too much. He swallowed a little harder when he smelled her arousal fully. She was definitely ready for him, but he didn't feel like stopping his exploration of her body just yet. One hand roamed her torso without a plan while his other stroked the leg that was up on the bed. He trailed the tips of his fingers up and down her thigh, taking mental notes of wherever she was most sensitive.

She was starting to get restless in his lap, squirming and shifting around every few seconds. His mouth shifted from her neck, planting kisses all the way to her shoulder where he started nibbling carefully. She groaned in anticipation, pushing her naked butt to his crotch once more to try to get him to go faster. He wouldn't make this so easy for her though. He did have a little something in the back of his mind after all. Maybe it was because of the lack of blood to his brain in his current situation, but right now he would make sure that she had nothing else in mind but him.

"What is it, Sakura? Is there something you're missing?", he breathed against her shoulder, pushing his arousal against her. He bit back a groan when she spun her hips against him a little, sending pleasurable sparks to his groin. He felt her nod enthusiastically.

"Tell me what you want.", he ordered, using two fingers to tilt her head his way. His looked straight into her eyes. She swallowed hard, a little intimidated by his intense gaze and the sight of his sharingan. She never felt right when she saw it, like it meant something was about to happen. That they weren't safe. She pushed the thoughts aside, trying to focus on what he had just said. Feeling too embarrassed to speak the words, she tried to lead his hand to the warm area between her legs but he wouldn't budge from her thigh.

"I want to hear you, Sakura.", he growled lowly, making her shiver. His voice was surely the sexiest she had ever heard. It already had this low rumble and tone when he spoke normally, but right now, there was something more to it. It made her bite the inside of her lip and close her eyes. It made her realize what kind of a man she was about to have sex with right now. A tall, dangerous and seasoned ninja. Her sensei. The man who had been under the fourth's tutelage. Probably the sexiest man alive.

"Touch me, sensei.", she purred back, opening her eyes to glance at him seductively. She knew it had an effect on him by the way he simply kept their gazes locked onto one another, instead of reacting immediately.

"Show me where.", he whispered back before moving to suckle on her neck, earning him a moan. She was overly sensitive right now. He had gotten her body ready and hot, now every of his touches felt incredible. She threw her inhibitions out a window in her head and once again tugged his head towards the apex of her thighs, though this time he followed.

"There, Kakashi-sensei. I need you there.", she breathed out, panting a little and eyes shut tightly in anticipation. He wouldn't admit it, but it turned him on so much that she kept the title right now. He would show his student the pleasures of the flesh. She was oh so willing after all, moaning and squirming in his lap like this.

"What a naughty student you are, Sakura...", he whispered against her ear, not moving from there while he ran a finger through her folds. Her breathing immediately quickened. It made him smirk, wondering when she would start moaning his name. He didn't care if anyone heard them. He wanted people to hear them. They would know better than to approach his girl then. She whimpered when his fingers simply played with the outer skin of her sex, teasing her.

"You're not being very nice, sensei.", she groaned, growing very impatient. He chuckled and slowly made his way towards her clit, finally giving in and doing as she wished. One of her hands snaked around him and grasped a handful of his hair carefully, groaning loudly as pleasure washed through her body. Right now, he was starting to fight an internal battle with his impatience, wanting no more than to get rid of his clothes and be inside of her. The point of this wasn't that, though. He would have to be patient for her now.

"I'm sure you won't be complaining by the time I'm done with you.", he rasped in her ear as he sped up his pace and the pressure against her clit. She tensed against him, her other hand gripping his thigh as she tried to stay still on his lap. Her mouth was hanging open a little in a silent moan, her eyes shut tightly in pleasure. Whatever she had wanted to answer him had gotten lost on the way. He decided he'd teased her enough, finally sliding a finger in her. She moaned louder than she had meant, appreciating the invasion far more than she had expected.

He was driving her crazy. She wanted him now. The way his finger moved in her made her lose of trail of thoughts though, and she was a moaning mess on him in no time, trying to meet his pace with her hips. She bit her cheek as she felt his erection rub against her every time as well. The feelings were just making her lose it. She was on the edge of climax. Kakashi's groan made her clench her lower muscles tightly, trying to fight the overly powerful sensations assaulting all of her body.

"Kakashi-sensei, please!", she begged without shame, unable to control her moaning now. They came short and broken, quick and high-pitched. He breathed in sharply, letting out a curse she didn't understand. She might have thought to ask if she hadn't felt his hands leave her body and going under her to free his erection.

He didn't make them wait any longer, he'd teased her more than enough already. This wasn't the most practical position, but he seriously didn't feel like moving. He loved the view, he had to admit. Sakura's back against his chest was nice, after all. She was arching nicely into him, giving him an eagle's view of her perk breasts, she was unconsciously grinding into his lap and he had full control over her movement like this. Perfect.

They both sighed in pleasure as he finally pushed into her slowly, all the way to the hilt. He wrapped one arm tightly around her flat stomach, the other hand going to the bed for support. His fingers played on her smooth skin for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of it. He buried his nose in her neck, taking in the sweet scent of her shampoo. Just for a little moment, he contemplated staying like this. Not moving an inch. To stay cuddled with each other in such an intimate position to enjoy the love they shared. That he hoped they shared.

Sakura groaned in complaint to his lack of movement pretty quickly, lifting her hips off of him barely to get him to move. He took the hint, starting a lazy pace. He knew she was already pretty close, she was shuddering and squirming on top of him already. She had this funny habit of being unable to stay still when she was about to orgasm, he noticed. He tightened his hold on her and thrusted into her faster while his lips kissed her neck lightly, ghosting them all over.

It was barely a minute before his beloved was whimpering and humming, gripping his arms for support. She held onto him as she could, fearing her legs would give out under the intense pleasure he was giving her. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to keep up his rythm without faltering. He was pretty close himself, but there was something else he wanted before they were done. He wondered for an instant if she would comply easily or would need a little convincing, but he was pretty sure she would be eager to try. She'd pratically forced him to let her touch last time, after all.

Once she was relaxed in his arms, she moved her head up a little, just to glance at him. Her eyes held a curious look, knowing he hadn't joined her in her climax. He carefully nudged her off of him so she would be on her knees on the floor instead, facing him. Leaning down to kiss, his hands roamed the top half of her body playfully, fondling and pinching on a whim when it got to him. The kunoichi was quiet under his ministrations, relaxing further and enjoying them. She was thinking about where he was getting to with this, though she assumed it was pretty easy to guess thanks to the position he had put her in.

Their kiss didn't last too long, just enough to be relax a little and be ready for the next round. When their lips left each other, the older man's hands moved to cradle her head softly, directing her towards his laps with no eyes moved up to meet his with a little hesitancy. She was a little clueless as to how to do this, he guessed, but he knew it wouldn't be hard for her to get the hang of it.

"You want me to use my mouth?", she asked, her tone bashful and her cheeks flushing a little. He almost chuckled, loving how she had to say the most obvious out loud sometimes. She wasn't always the most subtle woman, that was for sure.

"Unless you have something else to propose?", he mocked, his lips tugging at the sides to form a smirk. She scoffed and frowned, feeling no guilt at showing her indignation to his mockery. She lost no more time. She parted her lips and wrapped them carefully around the head of his member. The girl felt him tense under her and she smiled in result. It was incredibly sastifying to know that she affected the famous Copy Ninja like this. Now she just had to figure out how to have him writhin and begging for her.

She slid her lips as far as she could go, placing her top lip under her teeth to make sure she wouldn't scrape him. That probably wouldn't be the way to go. Her movements were uneven and a little sporadic at first, while she tested the waters, but after a couple of minutes, her head was bobbing up and down with more confidence. She couldn't help the swell of pride deep down whenever he groaned or gripped her shoulder tighter. He never once moved to try to control, which Sakura appreciated. She wanted to find out how to pleasure him, to learn each and every of his reactions and take full credits of the result.

When he gasped while she pressed her tongue down against him, she couldn't help herself from smirking, knowing she had found a senstive spot. She looked up to see his face, contorted with the burst of arousal he'd felt from this little move. His eyes had been shut tight for a little time, though he reopened them then to watch her. She averted her eyes quickly, suddenly a little embarassed by the intimacy of all of this.

"Sakura, I'm close.", came his his warning, his voice a little hoarse, though he managed to keep up his even tone. For a second, she hesitated. She certainly knew what he meant, but that didn't explain how to react. She had been told most men liked to come in the woman's mouth. The thought grossed her out a little but she figured she should give it a try. He'd always done everything to please her as much as he could, so she would return the favor.

His breathing quickly become more ragged and came in harsh pants, his hands holding her head a little tighter as he tried to control her pace a little. She groaned in slight discomfort when he bucked his hips a bit too hard, though she felt a rush of arousal at the same time. She stopped moving on her oown then, letting him take control. For some reason this turned her on quite badly.

He moved one of his hands down to fondle her breast, toying with the nipple while he was there. He forced his eyes open to look down at her. The view was almost too much for him, her lips wrapped around him tightly, her beautiful body, having her on her knees in front of him... He grunted and bucked his hips again, finally thrown over the edge. He held onto her head a little tighter as he came, still careful enough to make sure not to hurt her. He noticed Sakura jumped just a bit in surprise but she didn't try to pull back, a decision he definitely appreciated.

Once he had relaxed a little, he pulled her up with him on the bed to lay down close to one another. Neither spoke for a while, enjoying this short time of peace to savor what had just happened. Sakura inched closer to him and moved her hand to hold his loosely. This was still so new to her, it amazed her what he could do to her. She'd known about the physical facts of sex, being a medic it was a must, but living it was entirely different. Luck was surely on her side for once in her poor love life. She was with a incredible, trustworthy man who had solid experience in pleasing women it seemed. Yet, he was still gentle enough and willing to give her the time to adjust and learn. It was great. Serene was definitely what she felt right now. It was like they were the only two in the world, still too caught up in what they had shared to think about anything else.

Kakashi was finally coming down to earth after a those few minutes and he now looked down at her, a content smile on his lips. His companion seemed satifised and calm. Nothing seemed to be bothering her. Her mind probably swam with the fresh memories of their lovemaking. His free hand caressed her body tenderly, slowly making its way up until it stroked her red cheeks. Cute was the first word to come to his mind.

"Are you sleepy?", his question was perfectly innocent, though he still had a plan in the back of his mind.

"A little. Are you?", she replied, eyes closed and leaning into his touch.

"Hm, not really.", he lied. He pulled her flush against him, hooking one of her legs on top of his hip. Her expression showed her curiosity clearly, making him smirk. Her reaction to this came as a frown and she watched him carefully. She knew better than to expect randomness from the Copy Nin. He had something in mind. His head lowered and his lips caught hers in a quiet kiss. They moved slowly against hers, varying the pression and pace, just to keep her guessing and hooked. After a couple of minutes, his bedmate started to get a little restless, pressing tighter against him. A grin tugged at his lips and he broke the kiss just for an instant.

"Shh, there's more to enjoy than sex. Just focus on this. You feel closer to me, hm?", his voice was smooth and even, completely calm. His girlfriend seemed unsure for a moment, but soon enough followed his advice. She was quiet against him when he pulled her back in a soft embrace, his lips ghosting over hers, letting her feel his breath against them. Her own breathing evened out and she sighed, relaxing completely. He felt her body mellow, allowing him to control her movements easier. He deepened the kiss after a little while of giving her small pecks and playful kisses.

Her head was laid on one his arm, which was wrapped softly around her shoulders, while his other hand moved slowly up and down her back in a comforting manner. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart as she let him kiss her how he wanted. Tingles were spreading across her body, keeping her aware of every little touch of their bodies, though it wasn't as consuming as it had been just a few moments before. It wasn't as intense, rather quiet and giving her the opportunity to just enjoy their closeness. Kakashi found himself closing his eyes as well, taking the time to relax and to appreciate the moment. He might've had a motive in mind for doing this, something he was somewhat guilty for in the end, but he still loved every second of it.

A few minutes passed before the kiss died down, giving place to staying still and letting sleep come to them slowly. She was pressed firmly against his chest, her head snug against his neck, under his chin. The best place she found to put her hands was against his torso, one wrapping around his ribs. One of his hands played with her hair, gently tugging at it every now and then. It filled her mind with various images of them, some naughty, most simply of spending romantic time like this with him again as soon as possible. He had never struck her as someone romantic, but he had his own ways to be. He didn't openly show his affection for her when they were outside with others. Instead, he kept it for when they were in private. It made her feel more special, in a way. She was the only one who was privvy to this side of him. No one else knew about it.

"That was nice.", he commented, his voice a little heavier with sleepiness. He felt the girl under him nod quickly. A chuckle escapred his throat. She was incredible to him. Sometimes she had a fiery temper that no one could water down, while other times she was bashful and timid. Her emotions appeared to be a roller coaster. Maybe that was what drew him to her. He was always so constant, aloof and apparently unable to feel much.

"I care deeply about you, Sakura.", his statement was well calculated and came out low, barely above a whisper. Something about his deep voice made her shiver. He always had such authority, always sounded in control and in power. It made her feel safe and surrounded by this quiet and comforting aura. With him by her side, nothing wrong could happen.

His eyes focus on the lamp that stood on the desk beside the bed. He'd close it a little while ago, leaving the room in the dark. It was a little hard to focus on it since he barely saw it, but it was the most he could to not fret over what he'd just said. He wasn't afraid of admitting it to her. He couldn't say he loved her. What nipped at his anxious side was what she would reply. He was certain that she was very attached to him, that much he could deduce from how she acted around him. A girl like her wouldn't fling herself in the arms of a man she didn't feel a strong connection to.

"I...", she hesitated, biting her lip as she searched for the right words. The pause caused him to worry a little, though he quickly put it aside. "There's something very special with you, Kakashi.", she finished her sentence. It was the first time she dropped the honorif, he noted.

"What do you mean?", he questionned, arching an eyebrow. He had expected her to reply something along the lines of what he said.

"I mean, I feel very differently for you than I have or anyone else before. It's a little strange.", came her response. It made him hesitate a little. It was most likely a good sign, he thought. Just in case, he would make sure.

"How? Is it better?", he replied, pinching her chin carefully to tilt it up so she would be looking straight in his eyes. A soft chuckle left her lips. She was obviously finding it funny that he would press on such a subject. In the end, probably not a single living person would think otherwise.

"It is. I feel like I can depend on you, I trust you with my life. I want to be close to you all the time. I don't know how to qualify what we have, or tell what we'll be like in twenty years. I just know I want to be close to you, like this.", her voice had a distinctive life to it, putitng a smile on his face. She wasn't able to tell how she felt. She had never felt like this before.

"Hm, are you sure that's not just lust? I do know how to turn you on after all...", he teased, smirk prominent on his face. The hand that had held her chin dipped lower to fondle one of her breasts, just how he knew she liked it. He was satisfied with the gasp she emitted and moved his hand to an innocent spot on her ribs. She scoffed and slapped his cest playfully, a grin on her lips.

"You are very desirable. But it's more than that.", was her answer. Her tone held a certain seriousness that reassured him. He still didn't have all the details to pin what she felt exactly for him, but the results were good enough for now. On her side, Sakura didn't spend much time pondering over it. She was happy and that was all she cared about in this moment. Later, she could think about what this warmth was, what it meant. But now, she was happy. With him.

A/N: Woo, huge lemon. xD I hope it didn't seem to gratuitous because it really wasn't meant to be that. This chapter was very Kakashi-centric and focused on his sides of things and his somewhat manipulative side of his. :P Next chapter will also be full of fluff!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So, so sorry for the hiatus without warning! I had a lot of trouble with work and whatnot, so stressed I just spent all of my free time zoning out in front of the tv. Don't even remember what I watched, heh. Anyway, things are a bit better for now. I re-read my story and figured it wasn't as bad as I remembered it to be! It definitely needs to be checked over for mistakes and all, but the plot wasn't as crappy as I'd thought. I decided to finish it! I also just finished something I never did before: a plan! I have all of this story mostly figured out and it should be about 21 chapters long. So yeah, we're about half way. But this second half should be very well filled. We'll see that. Anyway, here's chapter 11!

Chapter 12: Just a walk in the park

The sun seemed to have risen too early the next day, rousing the couple who complained to it with grunts and groans. It was a bit unsual for them to feel this groggy when they woke up, but Kakashi figured it must be due to how well they had slept and how comfortable they had been wrapped in each other's embrace. Aah, the wonders of having a lover. He'd missed that. Hm, missed that? More like he was glad to be experiencing it. Sure, he'd slept with many women, but none he'd had much interest in spending the night with.

On her side, Sakura's body lazily slipped out of bed with half-closed eyes and an angry frown on her face. She reached for the brush on the nightstand, quickli undoing any knots that had formed in her hair. What bed hair she must be having right then. A blush crept up her cheeks once she realized she was still fully naked and she quickly moved to dress herself with her usual attire. A chuckle from her male partner made her glance his way.

"What are you laughing about?" she growled, biting her lip. Her expression told him she wasn't angry, but definitely embarrassed and trying desperately to cover it up.

"I don't understand why you're making a fuss about being naked with me." he explained while moving to stand up. Her eyes watched him warily as he made his way to her in all his naked glory. His large hand cupped her small cheek as he leaned down to give her lips a gentle kiss. He smirked, watching her eyes slide close slowly, feeling her relax against his touch. He felt a burst of affection washing over him and he was strongly tempted to tell her he loved her. Too bad he still didn't feel confident enough in what her response would be.

"Let's go for a walk, you've never visited Kumo before, right?" he proposed while he dressed. His companion stared at him for a few seconds as if his idea was absurd before smiling widely and nodding.

"I never have, that would be lovely." came her response. In truth, she was a little shocked he had proposed this. She'd always assumed he wouldn't be the kind to initiate activities.

They walked mostly in silence, with Kakashi's baritone voice occassionally breaking it to cite a little history of this or that building, or to recount tales of his youth when his missions had required him to travel more than when he was teaching their genin teams.

"Seems like you've had quite a life before me, huh, Kakashi?" she teased,a broad grin on her lips. His own spread into a small smile as he looked down at the girl.

"Of course. How else did you think I became such a great teacher?" he threw back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. She snicked and pinched his wrist.

"You mostly just left us to fend for ourselves. I'll never forget that time you made me see Sasuke die! You traumatized me for life!" she whined, throwing her arms up in the air to emphasize her distress.

"Didn't I make up for that yesterday? And all those other times?" As soon as the words left his lips, a bright blush appeared on the pink-haired girl's cheeks. She immediately tries to get out of his hold, but he tighetened it and she started flailing around, cursing at him to let go of her. A curse of his own escaped his throat as she got a good hit on his arm. He growled lowly and pushed her back against the wall of a nearby building, effectively trapping her there between his arms.

Her breath caught in her throat as he lowered his masked lips to her aggressively, pressing his body against her own. Her hands pushed weakly against his chest, a small protest coming out as a whimper.

"Kakashi, there's people around!" She whimpered, renewing her efforts to push him away from her. He chuckled and backed away from her after kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to put you up for a show. You're mine." He declared with what she surprisingly figured was pride. They continued walking as if nothing had happened, their pace a little slower as their took their time to enjoy the sun, the city... and their freedom. It had been a long time since they had been so relaxed. Emerald eyes trailed down their arms as she felt his fingers entertwine with hers before moving back up to meet with Kakashi's lone onyx orb

A content smile reached her lips as she examined his expression. He looked happy, affectionate. Who would have thought Kakashi could be like this? As much as she enjoyed the man's company right now, she had always figured him to be constantly aloof and emotionless. In the end, who could be like that to a person they felt love for? Her chest tightened a little as she was reminded of what she felt for said man. She had to love him. How could she want him so bad, want such a life with him if she didn't? Would she give up her own life to protect him? Without a doubt.

And the fact that she hadn't freaked out when he'd almost asked her to marry him must've been a good sign too. Yes. She had to love him. She loved the famous Copy Ninja, the man who had once been her sensei. The man who was fourteen years her senior. And it didn't scare the crap out of her. Everything just felt right with him.

"I'm glad you're with me." She let out, her voice soft and even. Kakashi looked down at her again, evaluating what she had just told him.

"Are you mine?" His question surprised her, causing a frown to appear on her previously tranquil features.

"Because I'm yours." He continued, feeling his heart beat speed up a little. Kami, what a piece of mush he could be at times. It was one thing to fawn over his novels, but another to actually feel giddy and nervous over a girl. The last time he'd felt anything like this must've been when he was about fifteen. Had he really cut himself off from other people that much? Hm, who cared. As long as things turned out fine now.

Sakura's own heart beat had sped up considerably after his second statement. Was he trying to make their relationship official? He was openly declaring that he would be no one else's than hers. She smirked, realizing that she didn't give a damn about others. She wanted no one else. It didn't matter that he was her first, that she hadn't really had an opportunity to spend much time around other guys her age. She wanted him. He wanted her. Their friends seemed to approve. Thumbs up!

"I'm yours." She whispered back, looking up at him with assurance. His arm around her shoulders tightened his hold a little, pressing her against him more. He crinkled his eye in what she knew was a warm smile.

A loud crashing noise disrupted their little moment, causing both of their heads to turn immeditely towards the sound. People seemed to be rushing towards the location of the crash, talking about a fight of some sort. Both ninjas' gazes met the others', both agreeing on what the cause must be, before they rushed to the area.

As expected, the cause of the ruckus was a blond boy fighting with a black-haired boy. A large circle of people had formed around them, watching them expectantly. Nobody knew if they should intervene or not. Heck, who could seperate those two without getting killed in the process? Sakura's eyes widened as Sasuke formed the chidori in his hand, heading for Naruto. Without hesitating or thinking things through, she sprinted to them, aiming a punch for the Uchiha's shoulder. It distracted him enough to drop the chidori, but he still caught her fist and flung her forcefully to the ground, causing a grunt of pain to escape the young girl. He didn't lose any time to kneel over her, a leg on each side of her hips.

"What, you think that just because you had the upper hand on me once means I'll let it happen again?" He hissed, her wrist still caught in a crushing hold in his hand.

"It doesn't matter, I'll still kill you if you try to hurt Naruto or Kakashi!" She barked back, kicking his thigh hard enough to make him drop down on her with a grunt. She growled in anger and frustration as she tried to roll them over to get the advantage back, he was back in control too quickly. He pinned her down to the ground effectively, both hands held up above her head by the much larger boy.

"Oh, really? I'm starting to think you enjoy being stuck below me like this..." He whispered in her ear, voice low and rumbling, causing shivers to run up her spine. All her confidence fleeted right then and she softened under him. She quickly turned her head away from him, eyes shut tight.

"Heh, I thought so." He chuckled, letting go of her and standing up as Kakashi appeared at Sasuke's side, glaring down at him. The two's eyes locked for a second, before Sasuke turned around and went to Naruto's side begrudgingly.

Kakashi stood protectively by his girlfriend's side, a hand on her hip. He'd heard everything. He was in a rage right now. If Sasuke didn't hold such valuable information, he would surely have killed him by now. To hell with the fact that he was his student. If he dared to lay a finger on Sakura, he'd do it. She stepped closer to him, laying a hand on his chest for support as she released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent uneventfully. They had lunch, continued their walk, though in silence. It was only when the sun had set that they had retreated to their room before their shift of watching over Sasuke would start that they hard broken the silence.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked carefully, watching her every move for a reaction, though her body didn't betray what she was thinking and trying to hide from him.

"I'm fine, Kakashi. I'm a big girl now. You know that." She replied with a smile, standing up from the bed. "I didn't get hurt. I stopped the fight. Stop worrying now." She added, shuffling random items around to a place she deemed more fit.

He could tell she was just trying to appear normal and fine, but that she was more affected. She just wouldn't let it show. In a way, he was proud of her for not breaking down as she used to. She could hold herself together now. He just wished she wouldn't keep up the appearances alone with him.

"I want to talk to him. Alone." She whispered after a few minutes. She seemed decided and certain of her decision. How much of that was just for show, he couldn't tell. She probably needed some sort of closure with the Uchiha. It was hard for him to be sure if he was okay with the idea, but he'd have to trust her. Plus, if Sasuke had meant to injure Sakura again, he would have done it this afternoon. She was safe for the moment. Why, he wasn't sure. Maybe the kid had been serious about choosing her for his clan's repopulation?

"I'll leave you to it then." He replied before standing up himself and leaving the room. Sakura watched his back hesitantly until he closed the door behind him. She was nervous as hell. She didn't really want to confront Sasuke, but she had to. She didn't feel anything but friendship for him now, she was certain of it. But he still had a hold on her. She pitied him too much. He was well aware of it and used it against her without any kind of hesitation. What a monster he had become...

Ever since the fight, she had constantly been kicking herself mentally for letting him get to her this much this afternoon. What would have happened had they been alone? Was he really so far gone as to harm his teammate in such a way? She chuckled to herself, almost laughing at her own naïvety. Of course he was. He'd broken her damn leg and almost killed her. Why wouldn't he do anything else to her?

Her body tensed as the door clicked open and Sai came in with their old comrade. Sasuke stood relaxed as if nothing had ever happened, looking straight at her with his cold eyes. Her teammate stood there for a few seconds, hesitant to leave her alone when he noticed Kakashi's absense.

"It's okay, Sai. You can leave him here." Sakura said evenly, her voice betraying her actual inner turmoil at seeing her old friend alone. The pale boy nodded and left silently, closing the door behind him

"I didn't expect you to be bold enough to invite me to your room alone so soon." Sasuke teased, a grin to his lips. She remained silent for a few seconds, examining him. He stood relaxed, hands in pocket and his back straight. It was like he was completely unaffected by the situation. Only his grin showed he was taking some sort of sick pleasure from this.

"I'm not a wuss anymore. You'll stop treating me like one." She finally spat back, glaring daggers at him. Her resolution to talk to him was dimming with every second. For fuck's sake, why couldn't she be tough for once!

"Dear Sakura, I know you're not that little girl I left on the bench anymore. " He replied cooly as he stepped closer to her, stopping barely a breath away from her. His nose almost touched hers and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She bit down on her cheek and held his gaze defiantly.

"Then what is this all about?" She inquired, never looking away. Her voice remained low and even, almost threatening even if inside she could feel herself shaking.

"That's what it is about. You've changed." He replied, his hand landing on her shoulder and traveling upwards slowly until it rested on her neck. He could feel her shiver lightly beneath his touch, making his grin reappear. Her breathing picked up as she leaned away from his touch, frowning and closing her eyes. Nostalgia. This was what was holding her down. She'd loved him, she'd wanted to share her life with him so badly. She couldn't bring herself to hurt him.

His free hand quickly cupped her other cheek, forcing her to face him. Her eyes opened once more to glance at him, wondering what the he had in mind. They shut again immediately in disbielief as he lowered himself and kissed her in such a gentle manner she couldn't believe it was him. Tears welled up in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks and she remained still, unable to react. One of his hands let go of her cheek and snaked down to her waist, pulling her flush against him. She gasped at the contact, her hands flying up to his chest to try and push him away, but he remained solid on his spot.

"Why are you fighting back? Isn't that what you always wanted? What you had planned by voluntarily being alone with me right now?" He chuckled, gazing at her with an expression she had to admit was seductive. As much as she could hate him, she couldn't deny how attractive he was. His mouth lost no time in assaulting her neck, placing hungry kisses with no hesitation. Sakura gasped against his hair, hands fisting in his shirt. He pushed her back against the wall, placing himself comfortably between her legs and hooking his hand under one of thighs to press himself harder against her while his other hand slipped under her shirt .

Many thoughts assaulted Sakura at the moment. Some of the moment he had broken her leg, other of when they were young and she had pined for him so fervently. She didn't know what to do right now. Stopping him required an effort she wasn't certain she was able to give. She hated what he had become. Hated it so much. She just wished so badly that she could bring him back. That he'd come back to them, the way they had known him. For what he really was, what he was before his family had been taken away from him. He didn't become a monster by himself, others had forced him to be. And she pitied him deeply for that, had great compassion for him. If it took just this to bring him back, then...

She swallowed hard, keeping her eyes shut and refusing to open them. It would be okay. He wasn't being rough, he was being gentle. It would be fine. Sasuke seemed to notice her body had mellowed and took the opportunity to renew his assault on her body. His mouth found hers once more, biting her lip to make her gasp so he could deepen their kiss. His hand went up further under her shirt to fondle her breast, using his other hand to grind against her. A moan escaped her mouth and she leaned into his touch. Geez, if he kept going like this, he'd make her as hot as Kakashi.

Kakashi. Sakura's eyes shot open and she pushed Sasuke back with all her might. He was obviously startled by her sudden struggle, his eyes had widened and he stared at her as if he couldn't believe what she had just done.

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke... I can't. Kakashi... He's-" She breathed out, trying to catch her breathe while she rearranged her clothes, but he cut her off quickly.

"I don't care about Kakashi. You loved me. Did you just forget about that?" He roared, hands fisting at his side as he steadied himself and stepped closer to her once more.

"That was a long time ago! You can't expect me to feel the same after you've tried to kill me!" She shot back, more tears running down her cheeks.

"And you think it's okay to just shift that affection over to our _sensei?_" He growled back, punching the wall beside her head, lowering his forehead so it almost touched hers.

"It's not like that. You know it. It's your own fault if all this happened! You just had to stay with me that night! Instead of knocking me out and calling me stupid!" She shouted in between sobs, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands. She resisted the urge to just drop down on the floor and break down, choosing instead to just stand there and stare at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I loved once, but it's over." She whispered, looking up at him hesitantly. His eyes remained impassive and didn't break contact with hers.

"You'll come around." He replied evenly, turning to the door and opening it. She opened her mouth to protest as Sasuke exited the room, but Kakashi moved off the wall he had been leaning against so he would be in her view. Her mouth remained open in shock as he left with Sasuke, probably to escort him to Naruto. Had he heard everything?

A/N: Sorry it's a bit short, but it goes according to my plan. I'm not trying to keep up a word count, just trying to finish this story to not disappoint whoever was reading this. And also to try and finish something properly for once in my life. I did finish "Sensei, you're late" but it was so rushed. I'll try to make this one good. xD


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

As soon as Kakashi was sure that they were beyond earshot of Sakura, he slammed Sasuke in the nearest wall, glaring at him with a look that could surely younger boy barely reacted, simply matching his sensei's gaze. They didn't budge for a little while until Kakashi finally opened his mouth to speak.

"If you touch her again, I'll kill you." He murmured, his voice ladened with rage.

"Really? You'll take down Danzo by yourself then?" Sasuke replied, his voice even although it still sounded menacing.

"If you hurt her... I'll do anything to protect her." He added, letting go of the boy and standing straight in front of him. He was every bit honest. Fuck Danzo. If he hurt her, he'd kill both of them bare handed if he had to.

"Sure, then you'll live forever in peace with her. Danzo won't take long to find this little hideout of yours. Then what? You think you bunch of wanna-be rogues are gonna take him down? You'll really give her a good life as a missing-nin?" Sasuke spat back angrily, glaring back at his ex-sensei.

"I'm not out to hurt her anyway. She isn't worth your sharingan. I don't see why I should turn her down if she throws herself at me though." He sneered, crossing his arms on his chest and leaning back against the wall. Kakashi was at a loss of words. Rarely had he ever been so stuck in his life. He failed to protect Rin and Obito early enough. Then they lost Sasuke. And now his two students were stuck as missing-nins. Great. He couldn't even protect the girl he loved.

He wanted to shout back, tell him she was his. Punch him in the face for touching her. Kill him for trying to murder her. He wanted to do so many things, but the Uchiha had the upper hand. No option that seemed attractive was viable. He'd just be forcing all of his comrades to live as rogues for the rest of their lives. And who knew how long they could survive like this. It was already a miracle that they'd managed for over three years. What about Hinata and Naruto. They had a kid on the way. What if it was his Sakura stuck like that?

"Thought so." Sasuke retorted, pulling Kakashi out of his thoughts. He lowered his head, staring at the floor. He couldn't do anything against him right now. Sasuke had every advantage. Heck, was he even strong enough to take him down? The last time they'd been in a fight he'd been injured and he couldn't prevent him from harming Sakura.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever it takes, I'll keep Sakura safe." He muttered, meaning every word of it. His eyes met Sasuke's again and there was no doubt for either of them that he'd back it up if need be.

"It's not in my plans to harm her anyway. Danzo's downfall is in my advantage as well so you guys are all good right now. We can talk about all of this again once all of this is over." With everything said, the Uchiha started walking towards Kakashi and Sakura's room. The copy nin sighed inwardly. This was gonna be awkward and harsh.

Sakura looked up from the floor when she heard the door open again. She swallowed a bit harder than she meant when she noticed Kakashi was being followed by Sasuke. She had hoped that Kakashi would drop him off with Naruto so they wouldn't have to deal with him for the moment, but then again Naruto and Sai needed their rest as well. Sasuke went straight for the armchair in the corner opposite from the bed while Kakashi sat with her on the bed.

He glanced at her with a look she didn't know how to interpret. It felt as if he was burning a hole through her with anger and jealousy, but he looked away so quickly. His expression remained mostly impassive, but she could imagine he feel betrayed. He had every right to feel like that. How could she have let Sasuke get to her so easily? It couldn't be that hard to keep her hands off the Uchiha! She had Kakashi who was definitely as sexy as him. And he'd certainly proven he knew how to turn her on. Her cheeks flushed a little as a thought involving both of them doing naughty things to her crossed her mind. What a time for a dirty thought like that!

Time couldn't have passed slower for all three of them. Nobody spoke. Nobody really knew where to look. The level of tension in the room was palpable. Sakura could have sworn she heard her partner sigh when Genma and Shizune came to retrieve Sasuke for their shift of watching over him. Finally, they were alone. She glanced shyly in her lover's direction, hoping he wasn't about to yell at her or something.

"What did he do to you? His smell is all over you." He whispered, refusing to look at her. How he hated having such a keen sense of smell sometimes. It was painful to be reminded every second that someone else had been touching her, and he'd heard enough to know she hadn't hated it. More than enough.

"H-He didn't hurt me. I'm sorry Kakashi, I don't know what got to me..." She sputtered, turning to him and sitting on her knees in front of him.

"It was too hard to say no? It's that hard for you to resist him?" He shot back, finally looking at her. The look in his eyes made her stomach churn painfully. He was beyond angry with her. She remained silent for a little while, staring at her folded hands in her lap. She didn't know what to reply. Why hadn't she stopped him earlier? Had she really enjoyed it that much? No, she couldn't have. She was loyal. She'd always been and always would be. The only reason she hadn't was because she wanted the old Sasuke, her friend, back.

"It's not like that. I was stupid. I somehow believed, just for a minute, that if I gave him what he wanted that he might come back with us." She admitted, staring a small crack in the paint on the wall. Kakashi felt somewhat dumbfounded.

"That's it?" He questionned incredulously. Her response was a simple nod. She hadn't wanted him. She had just hoped it would make things better for a second? He still had a little trouble believing the whole encounter had been nothing more than a bit of wishful thinking and naivety on her part, but it wasn't that hard to come to terms with it. It made sense. She had pushed him back after all. But it didn't make this pinch of jealousy and anger go away.

"Come here." He whispered, his voice laced with some anger she didn't miss. Shemoved on the bed to him, stopping when the hand he had extended to her grabbed her hip while he leaned on the wall behind him. He tugged at it until she sat on his lap, her expression telling him every bit how uncomfortable she currently was.

"I guess I'm just going to have to get rid of this smell myself..." He whispered against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. What was he gonna do to her? His hand fisted in her shirt and pulled her roughly to him so he could kiss her. Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't even seen him lower his mask! He pinched her hip, making her gasp in slight pain. He didn't miss the opportunity to lick her lower lip lightly before going furhter to rub roughly against hers.

She whimpered when he pushed her away, her eyes glancing at him with confusing. He didn't lose any time to answer her silent question, pulling her shirt off as quickly as he could before assaulting her neck with open mouthed kisses and nibbles. She let out a small moan, hands fisting in his shirt on his back. She certainly wasn't used to this kind of urgency from him. One of his hands moved up from her hips to fondle her breast. His breath was already coming into pants and his movements were quick and precise. It amazed her how he could still keep a clear head through all of this. His pace was hectic but she could tell every of his moves were well calculated and conscious.

He'd had enough. he slipped the hand that had been staying still on her hips into her panties and traced her slit before caressing her clit, just as rough as he'd been for the rest. Sakura groaned and leaned on him, eyes shut tight. She hadn't expected the sudden assault and could do nothing but moan against him until he moved from under her. She followed his movements with confusing, her mind not entirely registering what was happening. Before she knew it, he stood on his knew behind her, his right hand pushing her down so her butt was up in the air for him.

As she started realizing what he wanted exactly, a blush appeared on her cheeks, red and bright. She heard him unzipping his pants and she held her breath in anticipation. He pushed her shorts and panties down, not even bothering to undress her further before thrusting in her quickly, roughly and hands gripping her hips tightly. She buried her head in the blanket below her, hands fisting into as she grunted half in pain and half in pleasure. Her partner didn't seem to take note of this, his movement picked up a steady pace, one that wasn't too fast or slow, thankfully.

He lowered himself down on her so her back touched his chest, allowing one of his heads ro roam free on her chest. The girl below him whimpered, tugging at the blanket for support. Kakashi grunted, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. At that moment, he didn't really care. A little voice in the back of his mind was telling him that he was simply claiming her body. Proving to her that nobody else but him could touch her. How this accomplished it, he didn't know. He just needed to do it.

Sakura moaned his name as the last of the pain subsided, giving its place to pleasure. It hadn't been very painful, but it sure hadn't been comfortable. The pain had been somewhat enjoyable at first, being a strange mix she hadn't experienced before. Now that she had finally adjusted to her partner though, it was gone. She didn't dare to look up at her lover, a little afraid of him right at this moment. She didn't believe that he could harm her, but he could certainly hurt her. He would never hit her, that much she knew. She hadn't meant to hurt him by not outright refusing Sasuke's advances, and this was most likely how he made up for it.

Heck, if angry sex was all it took, she was all for it. Plus, it wasn't like she wasn't enjoying herself. A mischievous grin appeared on her lips as a small idea sparked in her mind. He wanted to do it like this? Fine, she would play his game. She pulled away from him quickly, turning to face him as she stood on her knees. The look on his face was priceless. A mix of surprise and need, and just a little anger. Her grin widened as she made her way back to him, hands up to grab the hem of his shirt. He watched her intently, but without interrupting her. She removed his shirt before getting rid of the shorts still hanging on her thighs.

She tried to get rid of his pants as well, but he wouldn't have any of that it seemed. He grabbed he wrists and pushed her back against the wall, trapping her there with his body. She sighed in pleasure when his mouth went for her neck again, nipping and biting here and there. She bit her lip, trying to fight through the haze of her arousal to gain control of the situation again. Her slim hand snaked down his torso to caress his shaft carefully, slowly, causing him to halt his ministrations and hiss. She tried to push him back so she could lie on him, but he pinned her against the wall against, using one of his hands to hold both of her wrists above her head.

"Think you're gonna get me that easily?" He rasped, devilish grin on his lips and a playful glint in his eyes. She liked that much better. His free hand took its time to explore her body, ignoring her core. She groaned in frustration when he spent too much time neglecting her sensitive spot and locked eyes wth him, arching her back to try and get closer to him.

"Kakashi-sensei..." She whispered lowly, eyes half-lidded. He bit his tongue to keep himself from moaning. She was playing dirty. "Please, I want you." He closed the distance between them, pressing his lips against hers , but still refused to do more. She growled and wriggled against him, trying to get him to do something, anything.

"Impatient now, aren't we..." He whispered back, breaking their kiss to gaze at her quietly. She matched his gaze, mirroring his own breathless expression. She turned around and leaned her upper body against the wall, thrusting her ass up flush against his erection, which earned a moan from both of them. His free hand gripped her hip once more, keeping her still against him while he came down from his little rush.

"Just take me. I'm yours. Only yours." She whimpered against the wall, rubbing against him as much as she could. His control snapped then. He thrusted back into her and picked up a quick pace

"Repeat that." He growled in her ear, leaning down against her and wrapping his arm around her waist so he could help her move quicker against her while he ground his hips in hers.

"I-I'm... Ah! I'm yours!" She grunted in between moans. She leaned her forehead against the walls, panting heavily. She couldn't take it anymore, this was too much.

"That's it." He grunted against her ear and he thrusted harder into her before biting down on her neck. A broken scream escaped her throat as her body shook against his while it climaxed. He groaned and bucked againt her as his own orgasm ripped through him, leaving him breathless. They both collapsed on the bed and he held her close to him, staying silent while they caught their breathe.

"Is that how you resolve conflict?" She finally asked several minutes later when they were both relaxed and well covered by the blanket. Her back was flush against his chest, their legs intertwined. He just lay there, comfortable, while thinking up his response.

"Not usually, I guess. It's not like this kind of conflict comes up often." He replied, nuzzling her cheek. The girl hummed quietly, enjoying his warmth.

"I guess. But I meant it, you know?" She said, twisting her neck as she could to look at him. Her eyes held a soft expression, one he knew was sincere.

"About what?" He breathed out, relaxing further against her as sleep crept up on him.

"I'm yours. I'm sorry about this afternoon. I really didn't mean for all that to happen." She explained, staring at her fingers that played with the hem of the blanket. Right, that.

"Why did you moan?" He asked bluntly, eyes open and sleepiness sort of wished she hadn't brought the topic back up. He'd been content for a moment there.

"Huh? I guess I... Kind of liked what he did. I mean, I didn't enjoy but it's not like I could keep my body from reacting to him..." She answered shyly, hoping not to anger him again.

"So you didn't want him?" He continued, biting on his tongue against once he had finished his sentenced.

"I might have for a moment, but when I thought about you it was over. I knew I wanted no one else but you and I couldn't let him continue." She replied honestly, biting on her thumb nail. So thinking about him was what had put a stop to their little encounter?

"Why? Was it because you didn't want to hurt me?" He didn't know why he kept going, he just needed to know.

"Yeah, of course. But it's also that I didn't really want to sleep with him. I'm... Definitely attracted to you, and with our relationship, I can't have you and everybody else. So I wanted you." Her heart was beating much faster by now, hoping that her answer would sastify him. A feeling of pride and possessiveness swelled in him. So she had wanted him more than the brat.

"Good. I'll make sure it stays like that." He replied before placing a kiss against her temple. His response perplexed her a little, though she made no big deal of it. If it meant that sex would remain as mind-blowing as it had been as of yet, she had no problem with it. That just left her the option to be as good as she could to him as well. She had to admit she was a bit giddy for the next encounter. She wanted to learn to pleasure him as he did for her. To discover every little sensitive spot he had and be able to get him to relinquish control over to her.

"I love you, Sakura..." He mumbled against her ear, his eyes closed although he was anxious of her response. He felt her tense against him for a second, though she relaxed immediately. She must've been startled by his sudden declaration.

"I love you too, Kakashi." Her voice came up after a few seconds of hesitant silence. She could feel him smile against her cheek as he nuzzled her again. It sent butterflies to her stomach. It made her a little nervous that their relationship had hit that level, but she didn't fear it in anyway. Just for that moment, she had been happier than she had ever been in her whole life. She loved Kakashi, she really did. And he loved her back. Nothing else mattered for the moment.

"Leaf nin!" The shout woke both ninjas with a start. They stood up in panic and scrambled around for their clothes before someone pounded on their door.

"Sakura! Kakashi! We gotta go, hurry up!" Naruto shouted through the closed door before Kakashi opened it, while he was pulling his pants up. Sakura shriked behind him as she hurried to clasp her bra and put on the rest of her clothing. The blonde blushed a little but hurried to look away.

"What's the situation?" Kakashi asked, his tone serious. Naruto looked back at him, frowning.

"Leaf nin are almost at the gate, we don't have much time, we gotta go. Hinata, Sai and Sasuke are in my room. I just came to get you and we're going." He replied quickly.

"Alright, just give us a second." Kakashi said before closing the door so they could get done dressing and gathering the neccessities. Not more than two minutes later, they were out and sprinting to Naruto's room. Half-way, they were met by Sai and Sasuke.

"They've got Hinata. Sorry, Naruto." Sai exclaimed, an honest sorrowful look on his face.

"What! I've got to go get her! Get out of my way!" Naruto screamed as he tried to push past the two boys, but they held him back firmly.

"Hey, dimwit! They've got her. There's nothing you and I can do, there's far too many of them. We've got to get going. They won't hurt her." Sasuke let out angrily, shoving the whiskered boy back.

"How do you know that?!" He replied, hands balling at his side.

"Idiot, she's their best tool to get you to surrender. She's perfectly safe as long as they don't get their hands on _you._" The Uchiha continued, pushing him some more so they could start walking, but Naruto still didn't budge.

"I hate to say it, but here's right, Naruto. We have to go." Kakashi said, placing a hand on his shoulder. His student looked up at him hesitantly but finally nodded. He understood every bit of the boy's torment. If Sakura had been caught, he would probably have went in head first, consequences be damned.

All of them started sprinting towards the nearest exit, a secret tunnel that led to a large forest outside the village. Only the jonin and anyone above them knew about their underground system, so they would be safe. The Raikage had informed them of this specifically for this kind of situation. The walk through the tunnel had been tedious, with many part between too thin for more than one of them to pass through at once, while other crept so low they had to crawl. But at the least, they were out of there safe.

None of their friends had met them there, surely having taken different routes that had been closer to their current location at the moment of the assault. Sakura noticed her best friend glancing back at the city, uncertainty and guilt filling his eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she observed the city with him.

"She'll be fine, Naruto. I'm sure of it."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Alright, a little excited about this chapter. Though I guess I'm excited about all the upcoming ones. If I can keep up a decent writing pace, this story should be wrapped up in two weeks. I do already have a plan for another story that pushes me to finish this one so I can focus on it. :P I'll talk some more about it once the idea is a bit more mature.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 13:

The small group had sprinted through the thick forest almot until the sun was setting, casting an eerie orange glow on all of them. Usually, this would certainly be a great sight, but right now everyone was too on edge to enjoy any of it. There were no signs of them being followed for the moment, leaving them comfortable enough to set up camp at the edge forest. The dark and abundant leaves and large trunks of the trees provided effecitve coverage, at the least.

Sakura had agreed to take the first shift of watch. She didn't feel like she could sleep so soon anyway, no matter how exhausted she felt. They'd lost the safe haven that Kumo had been for the past few weeks. It was to expected, in the end. Having so many missing nins gather and roam freely in a single city was due to attract attention somehow. It was a miracle they'd been prepared. Obviously not enough, though... Hinata wasn't there with them. Who knew who else had been caught.

Thankfully, the fact that she carried Naruto's child would surely protect her. They could try and lure her friend inside the city by threatening his girlfriend's safety. Everyone in their little group didn't believe any harm would come to her as long as Naruto evaded them. But they still had to get her back one way or another. She'd start thinking of a plan the next day, after she had rested a little. For the moment her head was throbbing, overwhelmed by everything that had just happened.

She turned around to take a good look at everyone who was sleeping on the ground. They all wore a strained expression, as if ready to jump to their feet the next second. In fact, they probably were. There was still a good chance the Konoha nins would show up tonight. She had to keep her senses sharp instead of wasting her time examining every last detail of the men who accompanied her. She frowned as she felt a bug bite the side of her shin and bent down to flick it away with her fingers. It seemed the little critter had long escaped already. She inspected the tiny bloody spot closely and gasped, scrambling to stand up. This was no bug bite, it was a senbon puncture!

She groaned in frustration as her body went limp and she started falling down, only to be caught by what she assumed to be a root agent. Barely a second later, the man grunted in pain and blood spilt abundantly from his neck. She shut her eyes quickly, a wave of nausea hitting her as a good amount of the red liquid stained her cheek. It took her a minute to be able to see who was her help, as her view was completely obstructed by the corpse of the man who had tried to capture her.

"Wake up, dumbasses! We're being ambushed!" She heard Sasuke's voice boom. So it was him. She heard bodies shuffling around quickly behind her, surely everyone getting up. Jade eyes widened as she saw the incoming enemy, at the least fifteen from what she could see from this angle. There was no way they were taking them all down. They were trapped!

Once more, Sasuke's voice made itself noticed as he shouted a fire jutsu, setting the whole place on fire. She tried to crawl away from the intense source of heat that appeared what she assumed was a few feet behind her, but she was still completely paralyzed. She was the poison expert, how the hell could she have let this happen?

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out in frustration, obviously caught behind the wall of fire Sasuke had created. It blocked their enemy effectively, but also cut her off from the rest of her group. A silent scream was trapped in her throat, no matter how many times she tried to call for Kakashi.

"Make a run for it! I'll take care of Sakura." The Uchiha roared, appearing at her side and picking her up with ease. It was hard to be relieved. He might be helping her get away from the Konoha ninjas, but she sure as heck didn't feel safe being alone with him. She could clearly see the fire right now. It was insanely big. They were really cut off from their friends. There was no way any one was getting around this without being caught.

"Go! Hurry the fuck up or they'll catch us!" He shouted again, taking off only when he heard the footsteps of Naruto, Sai and Kakashi leave in the opposite direction after what sounded like the two boys convincing their sensei to leave the petal-haired girl to their ex-teammate. Her captor lost no more time and made a dash for it as well.

It was a long while before they had stopped again. She counted four hours, but she might have been wrong. She had no reference for time right now. Her head had rolled against Sasuke's chest and that was all she could see. Why did he have to wear an open shirt? It was awkward enough to have him carry her, but to have her cheek pressed against his skin was just too much. He smelled strange. A bit like earth, and a lot of something she couldn't identify. Maybe sulfur. Maybe it was his fire ninjutsus that caused this.

"We'll stop here for a while." He declared lowly and placed her carefully on the ground. She could see him several hand signs. Probably a couple of genjutsus to hide them from their enemies' view should they pass by. They were only two so it shouldn't be too hard to hide them. A whole group was another thing.

"Can you move?" He asked, staring down at her. Her total lack of movement seemed to answer his question. If only she could speak, she could tell him which pressure points to hit to restore her natural chakra flow. Normally she would have broken down the poison within the first half hour, but it seemed they knew who they were up against. Their paralyzer had also contained a chakra blocker. She wouldn't be able to do anything for the next hour or so if she wasn't mistaken.

Something bothered her. She'd spent a while thinking about it, and it didn't make sense that he only acted after she'd been poisoned. If he had been conscious and able to kill their attacker so quickly, then he'd had to have known they were coming. He let them ambush them. His fire jutsu couldn't be random either. He had meant to seperate her from the group. She tried to push down the feeling of dread that threatened to overwhelm her, but to no avail. What would he do to her? She was completely incapacitated right now.

He kneeled down at her side and pinched her chin between two fingers, turning her head so she would be looking at him. Her breathing picked up immediately, her heart beat undergoing the same reaction. The smirk that manifested itself on his shar features made her stomach churn. Was that his plan? Let the enemy paralyze her so he could do anything he wanted with her? She closed her eyes immediately, trying to block him out of her senses. When she didn't feel his breath blowing on her cheek anymore, she dared to open her eyes once more. He was sitting by her side, a bit too close to her liking, but his position was completely innocent. What?

The next hour was excruciatingly long to Sakura. As soon as she had felt the soft tingle of her chakra spreading through her system, she had worked at flushing the rest of the poison out of her and she was able to move within the next few minutes. She lost no time to stretch her stiff muscles and groan in relief. Oh, that felt good. She was still surprised that Sasuke had made no attempt against. That must have been one heck of a deal that Kakashi had made with him.

"You can finally move." He stated, not bothering to turn back to look at her. She hummed her response as she sat up. She didn't dare to get any closer. A little distance between them was a good thing.

"Come here." It was an order, not a suggestion. She obeyed him, hating herself for it, but unable to figure out why she couldn't stop herself.

"So you guys want to take down Danzo." He let out, twisting his neck just enough to look at her. She swallowed the saliva she had not noticed had accumulated in her mouth and nodded hesitantly.

"Kakashi already told you." She let out, biting her lip softly.

"He did. Looks like you're entirely dependant on me to accomplish that." He snickered, now staring up at the starry sky. She didn't want to openly admit it, thus remained completely silent.

"It's been almost four years. Don't you think it's a little late?" He inquired, inching close enough to her so he could nudge her shoulder with his. She quickly turned her head away from him, still refusing to answer him.

"Huh, you guys never give up." He chuckled before taking a hold of her chin to push her to look at him again. She whimpered when his gaze locked with hers, their faces far too close for her comfort.

"A few years back you were dying for this to happen. Now I scare you?" He was smirking again. She used to love it when he did that. Now her stomach churned uncomfortably. It was frightening to be able to predict your teammate's reaction.

"You tried to kill me." She said bluntly, as if he was unaware of that fact.

"Did I have a choice? I kill for my ideals. So do you. You wouldn't hesitate to strike me down if I was after Kakashi." His voice was even and warm. Thick and smooth. It surprised her a little. She obviously hadn't spent much time with him since he'd deserted. She'd had the time to fawn over Naruto's growth, but certainly not Sasuke's. He was a grown adult now, as they were all. Her head was still filled with images of the little boy that continuously impressed her as a child. Was there really nothing left of him now?

"What happened to you, Sasuke?..." She whispered, watching him closely for any sign that her teammate might still be in there somewhere.

"Does it really matter?" He breathed out against her cheek as he leaned closer, his nose poking against her cheekbone.

"Would you ever take me back if I had a good reason?" He continued as he pushed on her shoulder until she was laying on her back and he hovered above her, a hand on each side of her head and a leg between hers. Her breath hitched and she held it, stilling under him. He could feel her tense.

"S-Sasuke..." She whispered, her eyes avoiding his. Her hand reached for his shoulder when he placed an innocent kiss on her cheek

"I told you. I'm with Kakashi now. I can't take back what happened with him." She explained, trying to sit up and push him off of her but he held her firmly in place.

"Yet you can with me. How nice of you." He spat, his eyes not glaring at her own with anger she hadn't seen coming.

"We were kids, Sasuke! If you hadn't left, things might have turned out different but you didn't." She whispered, struggling against him to free herself. She only managed to turn away from him before his arm wrapped around her torso and pulled her back, crushing her back to his chest.

"You're right. It's too bad I have the advantage now, hmm? I know that poison depleted your chakra. You're defenseless against me right now." He whispered in her ear, an underlying threat obvious in his voice.

"W-What do you want from me?!" She shrieked, gripping the arms that wrapped around her torso and held onto her shoulders.

"I'll give you what you want, Sakura." He started, nuzzling her hair affectionately, if he was even capable of such a thing.

"But you'll have to give me something in exchange." His tone made her cringe. She had no idea what he possessed that he could possibly want. She wasn't rich, she wasn't powerful, she was worthless to him.

"I know all about Danzo. All his plans, all his little treacheries. Hear me out and we'll see if I can make this worth your while." Her ears perked up at his offering. He really did have invaluable information on their target. But what could she give him that was of equal value to him?

"He's got the daimyos at his feet, that man. You know what he hides under those bandages, hmm?" He questionned as he brushed his lips against the shell of her ear. She struggled against his hold again, but it was useless. She was drained of any energy and chakra.

"Sharingans. Many of them. All from my fellow clan mates who he had my brother kill for him. Incredible, isn't it? And you know what he did with them?" She tried to avoid his question, hoping he would just continue on without forcing her to partake in the conversation. He openly disagreed though. One of his hands grasped her neck tightly and he bit down on her ear, making her gasp in pain and surprise.

"N-No, I don't know!" She rasped, trembling slightly against his body. He smirked and chuckled before kissing her ear and blowing on it, easing the sting a smidge.

"He put our great daimyos under a powerful genjutsu thanks to his eyes. That's how he was able to convince the other Kages to accept him. They all voted for him, all swore he was a great man and the only candidate they'd consider for the position. What a rat, don't you agree?" He continued his little story, stretching his neck a little further to get a better look at her face. She was squinting her eyes and biting down on her lip.

"Who doesn't hate Danzo..." Her voice was faint, but she didn't dare remain silent.

"That's what I thought. I even have a little more dirt on him. I think you'll enjoy this one. Turn around." He ordered and she obeyed, her chest now flush against his and their eyes aligned together.

"Tsunade's not in a coma." He let out bluntly, watching her reaction intently. His female companion's eyes widened as much as they could.

"W-What? But I saw her!" She exclaimed, her hands reaching up to his chest and pressing against it in disbelief. That couldn't be possible. She and Shizune had visited her a few times before their escape. They'd seen her.

"Only a decoy, Sakura. It's easy to cast such a genjutsu on a body when you have a sharingan." He let her absorb the shock for a little while before running his fingers through her hair slowly.

"Looks like Danzo has you well tangled in his web." He murmurmed, his gaze never leaving her eyes. He was definitely freaking her out. There was nothing normal to his demeanor. He knew exactly what he was doing. He had her right where he wanted her.

"I can help. I'm your only hope." He added, grinning widely. He was right. So painfully right. She was well aware that the genjutsu the daimyos were under wouldn't be dispelled so easily. They'd need him. He certainly possessed the precise set of skills needed to not only undo their illusion, but create a new one that would push them to bring Danzo down.

"You are..." She whispered hoarsely, her voice much more desperate than she wanted it to sound.

"And how can I get you out of this sticky situation now, hmm?" He pondered out loud, expecting her to come up with a plan to infiltrate the daimyos' estates and get him to turn against the precious Hokage.

"I know only you would be able to dispell the genjutsu with your own sharingan. You'll have to create a new one that will make them side with us, instead." She answered slowly, gauging his reaction.

"What a great idea. I guess I can do that. How do we get so close to the daimyos then?" His voice flustered her. It made her insides tighten with anxiety. She couldn't tell if his words flowed like honey to trap her in it like a poor fly or if he was honestly trying to coax a plan out of her.

"I-I guess we could... Come in as the rich people attending one of the parties they throw monthly to keep good relations with the merchants who bring in so much money for them. It can't be that hard to fool a bunch of merchants who can't even recognize a ninja when they see one." It took a few minutes for her voice to come out, taking her time to come up with an idea that made a least a little sense.

"That sounds like a good plan. I can see how we can make this work." He didn't move an inch. Only his lips moved. It was strange to see the Uchiha so still when he was pratically in your face.

"But you won't do this for free." She said matter-of-factly, causing his chest to rumble with a short laugh.

"How clever you are. Of course not." He replied, his hand caressing her hair once more. She didn't know what Kakashi had told him to get him to come with them, but it clearly wouldn't be enough to make him act for them. What he had offered was worth information, but not the risk implied with joining them in the plan. He was taking the front row in it after all.

"I want a child." He stated bluntly, his eyes searching her for a reaction. That was it. That was too much. He was clearly crazy. She flailed her arms and legs against with all the strength she could muster but he overpowered her easily, rolling on top of her and grasping a fistful of her hair. He pulled on it hard, forcing her head to roll back and a shriek of fear and pain to emit from her throat

"It's an easy bargan, Sakura. If you don't, you'll never see Konoha again. The hunter nin won't take much longer to kill off your pityful renegade group. How long do you think it will be until Naruto surrenders himself for his wench, huh? You're all dead then. You have no more leverage, too little manpower. I'm pretty sure they won't let Kakashi get away with it so easily. Danzo is quite fond of torture..." His voice remained even all along, making a chill run down her spine. She knew he was right.

Konoha was on their track now. Who knew how many had been killed or caught in the ambush. They might even catch up to them this evening. Somehow, it seemed as if only Sasuke had been able to sense them coming. She didn't know why, but it made it clear that they needed him to survive right then. They'd been lucky for the past three years. He'd been a rogue even longer, learning from the best. He knew how to survive here. He was her only hope to see a thriving Konoha again.

"And killing Danzo is all it takes to make you forget about destroying Konoha?" She rasped, trying to free her hair from his grasp but only causing him to tug harshly at it. She gasped in pain again, closing her eyes to try and escape the situation as best as she could.

"No. But if I know I have a child waiting to be born in that village, I could consider sparing it. My clan is my first priority. Rebuilding what Konoha destroyed comes before its annihiliation." He explained cooling, finally letting go of her hair but only to sit on his knees above her, trapping her between his thighs and hands.

"So, how about it, Sakura? Doesn't that sound like a fair deal?" He sneered, another grin plastered on his lips. How bad she wanted to rip it off, kick him off her and maybe even kill him on the spot. But she couldn't. Not if Kakashi's fate resided with him.

"F-Fair." She mumbled, her eyes shutting close as warm tears freely spilled down her cheeks.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Ah, last chapter was sort of painful to write. I feel bad for Sakura. Hope you guys are enjoying reading this. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 14:

Walking with the guy she could pratically call her captor was excruciating to say the least. His strides were much wider than hers, hunger and thirst seemed non-existant to him and the dive the in the temperature didn't seem to affect him. His long sleeved shirt, which he had finally attached closed, and his long pants certainly kept him warmer than her puny shorts and t-shirt. They had been in such a haste to leave that the poor girl hadn't taken the time to gather more than the clothes she had worn the previous night.

Sakura had spent the morning mentally kicking herself for forgetting that winter was creeping up on them. The first day of cold had finally reached them, causing a drop of about ten degrees without much warning. It certainly wasn't freezing but chilly was a good word. Being chilly for a few minutes while you went to the store across the street was one thing. Being chilly a whole night and then some, that was too much. Her arms wrapped around her small torso, rubbing up and down at her ribs. A shaky breath escaped her lips as she clinged harder to herself, desperately trying to warm herself up.

"I can't believe you were so stupid. Can't you even keep up with the seasons?" Sasuke sighed, halting his walk and turning to look at her. She'd fallen a few feet behind him. Her eyes squinted at him in an angry glare.

"Shut up. You weren't naked when we were ambushed." She spat at him. Her cheeks flared up as soon as she realized what she had said. Damn it. To her surprise, he didn't react much. No smirk, no snarky comment. He just stared at her.

"You are using some sort of contraception, right?" His voice was cool, as if the subject they were talking about was in no way a sensitive or embarrassing one.

"Are you insane or what?!" She barked and gripped her shirt tightly in her hands in frustration. "Of course we are! I'm not a medic for nothing, there's no way I'm going to be stuck like Hinata in this crap!" She had to admit she felt a little guilt at making such a comment against her best friend's girlfriend. It's not like they had meant for it to happen. It was probably his fault anyway, he was too brash.

"Didn't you just agree to that yesterday?" He remarked, his thin eyebrow arching in annoyance. Her lips pursed as she glared at him once more. How could he. That wasn't the same. That was entirely different. That was... That was disgusting. But at least she could offer that child a stable home since they would take Konoha back.

"You're an asshole." She muttered. Her legs moved forward against her own will. Anything to get him to shut up and leave her alone. She heard his footsteps follow closely behind her, until he caught up to her and matched her pace.

Their destination was vague. She knew Kakashi and Naruto had spoken about heading towards a particular lake to meet up at should anything happen. It hadn't been official, but she strongly hoped that was where they were heading. If they didn't, she had no idea how they would find each other. Her heat clenched as she envisionned the possibility of being seperated from her lover for the upcoming year or more. It had taken them that long to find their friends, after all... What if it took that long to reunite again?

They stopped for the third time that day once the sun had set and the sky was nearly entirely black, only a glimmer of orange in the horizon and the soft light of the moon to illuminate their private spot between the trees. This forest felt like it would never end. Sakura had been impatient for dusk to come so she could rest, but now that it had finally come, she wasn't so glad. The temperature went down with the sun, dropping another nearly ten degrees she assumed. If her assumptions were correct, it must've been close to zero celsius by then.

Her frozen body lay on the ground, shaking profusely. She had noticed even Sasuke had started shivering. At the least she wouldn't be the only one suffering now. Her teeth chattered one time to many to his liking and he scooted closer to her, his eyes boring holes in the back of her skull. She wished so badly that they could just light a fire or something. Sadly, that would be risking attracting attention with the smoke and light. They needed to stay discreet. After a long sigh, his arm wrapped around her mid-section and pulled her against him. Her body struggled against him, flailing about, when she felt him fumble with his shirt, pulling it open.

"Sasuke, leave me alone!" She growled, renewing her efforts the get away from him she felt him falter.

"Idiot! You're gonna freeze to death. I don't want to wake up a block of ice either, so just stay still, for Kami's sake. I'm not raping you or whatever." He roared, his voice hurting her ear since he was so close to her. The girl stopped her movements and she let him turn her around so she would be facing him. He lifted the top side of his over-sized shirt and wrapped her in it, crushing her body against his. A freezing hand slipped under her shirt to rub her back up down, making her hiss.

"Your hands are cold! Don't touch me!" Her little rant didn't affect him and he continued his movement, trying to warm both of them up a little. He didn't even bother responding. An exasperated sigh left his lips and wrapped his legs around hers. This position definitely made the kunoichi unhappy, but his warmth was quite the opposite. Her will crumbled to nothing and she leaned against him, pressing her cheek against his skin, breathing out in relief at the extra heat she received.

"Not that bad when you stop bitching."He remarked while his second hand nestled into her hair, pressing her cheek harder against him. She huffed against him, lacking the energy to put up more of a fight. She wasn't ready to leave his warmth anyway.

"Could be better if you just shut the hell up." She threw back, pressing her hands against his abdomen. The hiss he emitted when her hand came into contact with his skin caused a satisfied smile to stretch her lips. Not as much fun when you're the one having icy hands touching you.

"Could be better if we had sex. I can see that warming us up pretty efficiently." She could feel his retort was in no way serious since he made no move to manhandle her whatsoever, but it still flustered her. One of her hands roamed up his ribs to reach for his back, but she stopped herself when he flinched against her touch. Not minding the fact that it seemed painful to him, she glided her fingers over what seemed to be a sensitive spot.

"You've got broken ribs." She stated out loud, more for herself. He was certainly aware of it since he was the one going through the pain.

"Old news." He muttered, taking a hold of her hand and moving it away. She quickly freed her hand from his and sat up as much as she could without removing his shirt from her. The position was certainly awkward but the last thing she wanted was the night's cold air against her skin.

"How come you didn't get this fixed? This is so basic for a medic, you don't need to wait weeks for it to heal." She chastised, immediately putting herself to work. He grunted in pain as her chakra tugged at the area and took a hold of both of her arms to pushing her away from him.

"Leave it, it doesn't hurt. It's going to be fine." He mumbled. She growled and shifted them over before he could react, sitting on his thighs.

"No. If you're going to help us, I need you in top shape. Cut the bullshit." Her voice was stern. Sasuke rolled his eyes and put his hands down, giving up. He knew how stubborn she could be. It was useless to try and change her mind. Plus, it would really be a relief to have this pain gone. His eyelids slid over his eyes as he forced himself to relax and let her work.

Ten minutes passed before she was done. This was really one of the most simple procedures. In the meantime, she had pondered over her relationship with the man she sat on. It was awkward and surely wrong, but he wasn't trying anything on her so she felt fine with it. It made her nostalgic again. She wrestled and sparred with Naruto often. With Kakashi, too. That inevitably led to awkward situations, but they brushed them off easily. Who kicked the other's ass was much more important. For a moment, she remembered how terribly she had missed her ex-teammate. He didn't miss the small shift in her behavior, her tense shoulders and the soft expression in her eyes.

"Sasuke..." The sound was small and meek, filled with sadness and regret. His hand reached up to cup her cheek. She leaned into her, eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't cry." He muttered, looking straight into her eyes. She couldn't decipher his expression. Maybe he just didn't want to deal with a crying girl, maybe he really did wish things had turned out differently for him, for them. It didn't matter right then. Her heart ached for the friend she had lost right then.

"I miss you so much, Sasuke." Her voiced cracked and her tears slid down her cheeks. Her small body molded with his in a tight embrace while she sobbed nearly silently. She felt him tense under her, his arms remaining in the air as if unsure for a few seconds before he returned her gesture. Her words went unanswered though, and that broke her heart even further. After a few minutes, he wiped her tears from her face with his sleeve and buried his fingers in her hair.

"Just try to sleep, will you?" He muttered, looking down at her. She nodded hesitantly and let him roll them over so they could sleep on their side.

The whole thing left the kunoichi confused. She didn't know what to make of Sasuke. One second he was terrying and cruel, the next he was seductive and trying to bed her, and the next again he was nice and seemingly peaceful. What was he really? What did he really feel deep down? The whole ordeal left her wondering what could have happened if he had stayed, if she had been able to convince him she was worth it. Would they have had a nice, happy future together, or would he have broken her heart nonetheless? Maybe he had been destined to become nothing but a cold hearted killer. The setting might be different, but maybe he would only be taking assassination missions and living a lonely life in Konoha instead. Who knew.

The next morning, Sakura woke up feeling lost and disoriented. She felt a warm body against her and heard his slow, steady breathing. As her brain rid itself of the haze it was surrounded in, she remember to who this body belonged. Sasuke. Her head moved up to take a look at his face. He was watching her closely, as if waiting for her to finally wake up. She pushed herself away from his quicly, gasping as her skin came in contact with the crisp grass and cold air. A chuckle came from him. Apparently this was funny.

The next couple of days went by faster, much to Sakura's relief. They had reached their destionation with no trouble, if you didn't count the cold. The temperature had dipped lower every day, little by little. When no trace of their friends was found around the area, Sakura decided to get to work on building a shelter, anything to keep them warmer. With her chakra refilled, it had been easy for her to splinter trees and use the wood to put up something that looked similar to a tent. The fact that they may still be tracked was now thrown out the window in favor of a fire. It was useless if they died of hypothermia just to remain hidden.

"Sakura?" Her head shot up as she heard the familiar voice call her name. She disentangled herself as fast as she could from her companion, tripping over him as she crawled out of their makeshift shelter. Three days. It had taken them three days to reach them, but it had felt like months.

"Kakashi!" She cried out as she threw her arms around his neck, jumping to him and wrapping her legs around his waist with no hesitation.

"Kami, Sakura, your skin feels like ice..." He whispered, his lone eye looking at her worriedly. His arms held her tight against him, his nose nuzzling into her neck.

"I'm freezing." She admitted, shivering profusely against him. He didn't feel incredibly warm, but it sure beat having nothing. He was wearing cotton long-sleeved shirt with a undershirt, she assumed. He always wore an undershirt.

"Here." He offered, after he let her go and removed his sweater. She didn't hesitate to slip in it, pratically moaning as it instantly warmed her up a few degrees. The fact that it went down to her knees was a great bonus. Sasuke came out of their shelter at the moment. He just stood there, watching was a bit strange. When Kakashi noticed his presence, all hell broke loose.

"You bastard!" He shouted, rushing to Sasuke and landing a good punch to the younger nin's nose. The Uchiha grunted in pain and his hand shot up to cradle his nose. Blood was spilling generously from it, but it didn't stop the Copy Nin's assault. He slammed his enemy into a tree, pinning him there by the neck.

"You did this on purpose, you little piece of shit!" He roared and punched him again with little restraint. Sakura watched in shock a few feet behind, gasping as she heard a bone break.

"Kakashi, stop it!" She cried, catching his arm in her pale, nearly blue hands. Sasuke remained still, as if unaffected by the situation. Why he never defended himself was beyond the couple's comprehension.

"Don't you dare protect him, he seperated us on purpose! I don't give a fuck if he's got info, I'll kill him!" The older man shouted. She flinched in surprise at his menacing tone.

"Kakashi, no! You can't! W-We need him!" She retorted, pulling harder on his arm when he raised it for another punch. It didn't seem to phase him. Noticing this, she pushed herself between the two men, closing her eyes as Kakashi's fist nearly collided with her forehead.

"Move." His tone terrified her. He reminded her of how he was in the fight with Zabuza right then. His expression had chilled her to the core when he had threatened his team's life. He looked downright demonic.

"I can't let you, I'm sorry. He's our only hope to take Konoha back." She whispered brokenly, unable to make eye contact with her partner. His eye travelled down her body, taking in the fact that she was trembling. He assumed it was the cold, but in reality, it was out of fear. The famous Copy Ninja was not one to mess with when he was enraged. He scoffed and dropped his ex-student to the ground. Sakura made no move to help Sasuke, who coughed on the ground for a little while. She remained still, staring at her feet.

"What did he tell you?" His voice was so cold it felt like a knife to her. He felt betrayed. How could she protect the man that had snatched her away from him?

"He told me everything about Danzo's means to become Hokage, h-how to take him down..." She explained, continuing on in the details the sharingan boy had shared with her. It had cooled his temper down, but certainly not changed his mood. She had spent nearly a week alone with him.

"What did he ask in exchange?" The question took her by surprise. There was no way she could tell him about their deal. He would kill him on the spot. Or be killed.

"N-Nothing." She lied through her teeth, hoping he wouldn't insist on it.

"Don't mess with me, Sakura." He growled, placing a hand on each side of her head on the tree she was now standing against. He had lowered his head to her so their eyes would be at the same level.

"I'm not, I swear. He asked nothing!" She nearly pleaded, turning her head to the side to avoid his murderous gaze. He turned to Sasuke, hoping for a better answer.

"You heard her, nothing." Sasuke replied as he stood up, dusting himself. Kakashi glared one last time at his girlfriend before dropping his hands to his side and moving away from her. Whatever it was they were hiding, he had to figure it out. Surely Sasuke's help wouldn't come cheap.

"Where are Naruto and Sai?" Sakura asked, her voice small and timid.

"We seperated to find you faster. They'll be waiting for us north of the lake at noon. Let's get going." He replied, keeping his explanation short and simple. He lost no time to get a move on and the other two followed closely behind. Having found his girlfriend tangled with Sasuke had done nothing to help his sour mood. He could understand, really. They might have frozen to death otherwise, but jealousy still tugged at his heart.

She was walking several feet behind him now. She didn't dare get any closer to him. His ears picked up on the sound of his ex-teammate's footsteps close the distance between him and the pink-haired girl, matching her pace.

"It's going to be fine." Sasuke murmured to the girl at his side. Their leader missed the glare she threw her companion's way. He squinted his eye in pure anger. Why wasn't she pushing him away? If he had turned their way, he might have caught a glimpse of the kunai that the Uchiha was holding onto.

Sakura eyed the weapon warily, not missing the dangerous way he looked at her lover. It was a silent threat. If she said anything or tried to wriggle out of their deal, he would attempt to Kakashi's life. It didn't matter to her right then what possibilities there were. If they fought, Kakashi wouldn't escape unscathed, that much she was certain of. Sasuke would strike when he was alone. Even if he did win, in what kind of state would he come out of it?

She swallowed her pride and kept her eyes glued to the ground as they all walked in silence. She bit her lower lip as Sasuke's fingers ghosted over her throat, sliding down her neck to her shoulder in a way that made her cringe, but she swallowed the whimper of protest that threatened to escape her. Sasuke had her wrapped around his finger. The smirk on his face told her that much.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Haha, I hadn't meant for the Sakura/Sasuke moment to be so prominent in the last chapter, it just happened. But it felt right. I think I'm satisfied with at least that part of the story. xD And oh god. I hadn't realized this was the next chapter to write! I have a feeling it's going to be a toughie. Yes, I write these notes before I write the chapter. I guess it motivates me to write more? xD Anyway, have fun reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 15:

Their small group hadn't lost any time to put Sakura and Sasuke's plan into action. The sooner they were rid of Sasuke, the happier Kakashi would be. He had pratically refused to speak to Sakura in the past two weeks. Much to everyone's relief, they had travelled through a small civilian village and picked up warmer garments. Winter was almost comfortably settled, having sent snow their way quite a few times already. It was starting to stick the the ground, no longer melting on the following day. It felt good to be warm.

It had been agreed that only Sakura and Sasuke would enter the daimyos' mansions, attending their party as a young married couple. Of course, henges would ensure good disguise so no one could recognize them. Kakashi had strongly protested against this set up, but it was inevitable if they didn't want to leave traces. Sasuke's sharingans were necessary to dispell the old genjutsu and put up a new one in its place Sakura's role would be to incapacite the daimyos and anyone who interrupted their plans in an harmless way. Her medic skills were a must. There was nothing he could do about it.

The hike to the first mansion had been uneventful, if not exhausting. The snow had piled up quickly and the two weeks necessary to walk there had easily turned to three. Naruto, Sai and Kakashi would wait in the trees where the fake couple would make their exit once business was done. They were to wait there patiently and intervene only in a life or death situation. They watched expectantly as their teammates exited from their line of sight. Naruto was startled by the sound of Kakashi's gritting teeth and he watched the man as if he had sprouted a second head. The look he threw his former student probably scared him half to death. He dropped the subject immediately.

The mission had gone smoothly. Almost too smoothly. The daimyo was pratically left unattended the whole evening. Sure, there were guards at every door, but no one followed him around. They simply waited for him to excuse himself to the bathroom and they struck, swift and silent. No resistance was met as Sakura had hit the right pressure points to knock him out before he had even noticed their presence. Sasuke filled his part with no trouble as well. His genjutsu skills were nothing short of impressive. He had even set a time for it to override the old and start when he assumed he would be done with each daimyo.

Every target was caught and hypnotized as easily as the previous. The fact that they raised no suspicious made it relatively easy. If they were to be caught, the guard force would be increased, probably tripled to make sure no one could reach the remaining daimyos. It took nearly two weeks in between each of them. A month and a half had passed alredy since Sakura had been seperated from Kakashi by Sasuke. Their relationship was still incredibly strained because she still refused to spill the beans on the deal, but he'd refused to leave her side when he noticed his rival took every opportunity to get closer to the kunoichi. And that she didn't push him away.

He had racked his mind for possibilities. He was already giving up his sharingan. What else could that brat want? He didn't know what Sakura had to offer to him. She had released the seal on his sharingan since he needed it to complete his end of the deal. Surely, it wasn't to spare his eyes. That would make no sense. The idea of his clan repopulation brushed his mind, but he dropped it quickly. Sakura would never agree. Plus, why would he let his child grow in the village he hated so deeply? He wouldn't let his girlfriend be taken away, and the boy knew that. Nor would he allow him to have sex with her. He made sure of that by never leaving them alone. This was as usual, he came up empty-handed every time he tried to find an answer.

This was the last one. Sakura's heart pounded in her ears. The last one. Surely, Sasuke would request her to fill her end of the deal soon after this. She still didn't know how she could live through that. Many thoughts assaulted her mind. Some of him forcing himself on her, causing her to shiver in fear. Sasuke's hand grasping her shoulder had her crashing back to reality.

"Mameha, Earth calling." Her fake husband cooed, a charming smile on his face. She gulped before forcing herself back into her role.

"I'm sorry, dear. I spaced out." She replied, smiling shyly. She blushed brightly as she realized she had stopped dancing, causing quite a few glances to be thrown their way. Their resumed their positions and picked up where they left. She had such a hard time to remain in her role today. She didn't know when exactly he would come to her. Anxious was an understatement to what she felt.

"It's time." He whispered against her ear. She didn't miss the way he blew against it after his sentence. It sent shivers down her spine. In the past month, he had taken every oppoturnity he'd found to fluster her. Torture her with the thought of what she owed him.

"I'm sorry, Nabuo. Can we excuse ourselves?" She spoke evenly and smoothly. Her voice was like honey, and it disgusted her to no end. The only thing that she wanted was to throw herself into Kakashi's arms. She missed his comfort so much it hurt. He hadn't touched her ever since she had protected Sasuke. She missed his warmth terribly. Her husband nodded, hooking her arm in his as they headed for the washrooms. As soon as they were out of the ballroom, they had made a dash for the daimyo's private quarters, where he had just gone to refresh himself.

The guards out his door were no problem. A small genjutsu to hide them, hit a few pressure points and out they were. Sneaking behind the daimyo was no trouble as well. He was completely obvious. The ritual was the same as usual. She knocked him out, watched the door and guards until Sasuke finished his job. It was easy. Who would have thought the daimyos would feel so confident that they'd let their guard down. As soon as Sasuke was done, they ran towards the exit, but he snatched her arm before she could reach for the door and pulled her in another hallway.

"What are you doing? The exit's right there!" She shrieked in panic, fighting back against him to try and grab the doorknob.

"We have a deal to complete first." His words made her freeze and it was easy for him to drag though the hall, where he selected a random room to shove her in. A closet. Great, that would be comfortable. It was the first thought that ran through her mind and she wanted to smack herself for it. He was about to impregnate her and that was what she thought about? She could never hate herself enough.

"W-Wait, I can do this without you. We don't need to do this!" She protested, grabbing at his hands as he tried to remove her clothing.

"You should have specified that when we made the deal. It's too late." His voice was harsh and impatient. He didn't want to spend more time than necessary here. There was still a possibility that they would be caught and he didn't want that. Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, her arms dropping and her struggle died down.

"P-Please, Sasuke, don't do this..." She pleaded, her voice barely a whisper as he slid her underwear down her legs then moved on to lower her strapless dress below her breasts. Tears spilled down her cheeks freely. She had to bite her cheek until she drew blood to choke back her sobs. He wasn't stopping.

"Don't you dare make a sound..." He whispered in her ear just before his hands took a hold of hers, lifting them to the small pole that hung horizontally above her head. She gripped it tightly. Wether it was to obey him or to cling on for dear life, she didn't know. Her breathing quickly became hectic when he started fondling her breasts, his mouth attacking her neck. If he was trying to turn on her, he was losing his time.

To Sakura, it felt like he was taking his sweet time. He had lowered his head to her collarbone, planting soft kisses there until he reached her breasts. He gave one a few nips and suckles before moving on to the other. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She wished he could just do it and get over with it. His mouth travelled down to her ribs, where the thin material of her dress had scrunched up before skipping over it ghosting his lips from her just above her navel down to where her pubic hair started.

**(You can guess what's coming. This isn't entirely consensual, please skip if this makes you feel uncomfortable.)**

She tensed up when his fingers slid on the outer lips of sex before tracing her slit with a single digit. Her eyes were shut tight and she was desperately wishing to be anywhere but here. She whimpered audibly when his thumb rolled against her clit in slow circles. She cursed herself inwardly when his tongue replaced his thumb, resuming the same motion and coaxing a gasp out of the girl. She heard him chuckle below her. It was all it took to make her want to shoot herself right then and there. His hands grabbed a hold of hips and pulled her to him so she couldn't escape him.

"S-Sasuke, don't do this, please... Jus... hmm... get this over with!" She pleaded, unable to keep a moan from coming out of her. He stood up and she sighed in relief. It was a short-lived relief as he restarted his assault on her right after. One hand held her chin still while he kissed her, pinching her hard enough for her to part her lips in protest, but he only took this as permission to deepen the kiss. His other hand had travelled down to her core, resuming his ministrations to her sensitive nub.

"The sooner you give up, the faster this is over." He rasped against her mouth. A chill ran down her spine. He wanted her to orgasm? In this kind of situation? He was insane! She had been too distracted to hear him undo his pants. It had been a complete surprise when he rubbed his stiff member against her. She bucked against him, reacting to his warmth against her own will. Her breath came in short pants, her head rolled back against the wall as she tried hard to fight her teacherous body. Her thighs were quivering. It wasn't hard to tell he had her worked up pretty bad.

When the tip of his shaft began to slide into her, she tightened her hold on the metal bar above her head, new tears spilling out the corner of her eyes. Her legs flailed, miserably trying to hit her abuser but he gripped her thighs and held them still at his hips. She choked out sobs as he thrust into her slowly until he was buried to he hilt, far louder than she intended.

"It's okay, Sakura." He tried to soothe her, one of his hands moving to caress her back gently. Her hold on the bar faltered and she wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping his shoulders desperately. He silenced her sobs with his lips, crushing them against hers for a moment.

"It'll be fine, Sakura. I promise." He whispered against her soft lips, tender from his assault on them. She lost it right then. She coudn't fight him. It was useless. Her fingers moved up his neck to tangle his hair and she kissed him. He didn't hesitate to respond and deepen it once more as his hips started grinding in a slow pace against hers. She moaned in his mouth barely seconds later, arching into him.

"That's it, Sakura..." He purred against her. He sped the movements of his hips and clamped a hand around her mouth to stiffle any sound she made. She was close. He felt her tense up and her hand tugged hard at his hair. One of his hands move between them to rub circles against her clit. Her thighs gripped him hard and she bucked into him. He moved faster against her, panting and grunting as his own climax crept up on him. It was only a few more seconds before she squirmed and thrashed around him as she reached her peak, until it subsided and she went limp in his arms. He grunted and bucked into her one last time as he came, letting out a breath he'd been holding for several seconds.

**(Alright, people who skipped, you can pick up here.)**

She felt his hold on her legs falter and barely a second later he dropped them. The sudden weight made her lose her hod on, her limbs having turned to jelly by now. She fell to the floor in a completely ungraceful manner. She didn't move, simply trying to catch her breath.

"Pick yourself up. We gotta go now." He growled as he noticed her state. He gripped her shoulder and pulled her up roughly, fixing her dress for her. Once his hands were off of her, she bent down to pick up her underwear, gripping them tightly and biting back tears before she forced herself to put them on. She fixed her hair as she could without a mirror, hoping she wouldn't look too flustered once they made their way back to their friends.

She followed him without protest when he grabbed her hand and led her outside. He didn't hesitate to sprint once they were outside, causing her to stumble behind him. How come her legs felt like jelly when he could run as if nothing had happened? She swallowed the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and picked her pace up, matching his. She wasn't sure she wouldn't crash half way but she didn't feel like she had a choice but to obey him at this point. The inside of her thighs burned and it was a painful reminder of what had just happened. What would come.

Barely five minutes later the tree their friends hid in came in sight. And a few later, their faces. Kakashi seemed relieved to see her. It made her smile weakly. Would he still love her if he knew what she had just done?

It didn't take long for his expression to change. His visible eye widened and she could see the branch he'd been holding onto splinter in his hands. He knew everything. She wanted to damn his sensitive nose to hell right then.

A/N: Sorry, this chapter is short. I couldn't bring myself to add anything else to this. /: Gah, I'm aching for Sakura and Kakashi. Makes me feel guilty for writing this story altogether but I hope it's still good. Hum, later. Next chapter should be up tomorrow.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Wow, I really think didn't writing the last chapter would have this effect on me. I think I was shaking for an hour after. I also have a strong urge to drop this story. I don't know why, but I'm pushing myself to finish. I really wanna finish it! I gotta finish something for a story correctly for in my life. ¬¬ So here's chapter sixteen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 16:

When the couple finally reach their comrades' hiding spot, there was only a brief and warm welcome from Naruto before they moved on, sprinting away from the location of their crime as fast as possible. Nobody was supposed to realize anything had happened after they got back to their senses, but you could never be too cautious. Sakura was running beside Sasuke, who was still gripping her hand. He seemed intent on not letting go.

Kakashi trailed several feet behind them. His heart was pounding painfully against his chest and his eye couldn't tear itself away from the joined hands of the two shinobi ahead of him. She reeked of him. Her delicate scent was laced with his. Images of what they had done infiltrated his thoughts. He bit on the inside of his cheek, swallowing the blood that spilled from it mindlessly. No. No. No. No was the single word that repeated itself over and over in his head. It couldn't have happened. They could have been caught! That was a stupid risk to take for both of them.

Or it wasn't. If they had really done this to... conceive a child for the Uchiha, it was clear that it had to be done without the Copy Nin being able to interrupt, it had to happen when he wouldn't be aware of it. A child was worth wreaking havoc with the daimyos to him. It didn't matter, he would probably only have killed anyone he had to to get them free. The blame would fall on the crazed Uchiha who had deserted the Leaf, whilst she would be free. In Sakura's case... She valued Konoha above all. He didn't doubt she would make that sacrifice now that he had to face this reality. He hadn't considered this option before he had thought she would never accept to offer her body to Sasuke, but he knew he had been blind, blinded by his love for her and his inability to accept the fact that she would let harm come her way if it was for the safety of all her friends.

He tried to silence the conflict building up in him, but he was powerless against him. He contemplated attacking the man in front of him, try to kill him to cool his rage and pain. He replayed in his mind any moment that he could have acted differently, any way that he could have prevented this. Any way that he could have saved his poor cherry blossom from this sick person. He had no concern for what happened to him, as long as she was safe and happy. He had already been tortured numerous times, been so close to death on so many occasions. It didn't matter what happened to him. As long as his little pink gem was safe and happy.

A heavy weight was placed on his shoulders and they slumped further. It was already done. There was nothing that he could do to take this back. He had been unable to protect her. He could only hope that their encounter wouldn't be successful. If she wasn't pregnant yet, he could at the least stop this devil from touching her again.

Their presence had never been noticed. No one but Kakashi had been aware of what had transpired between a certain kunoichi and missng nin. It wasn't something any of them wanted to share. In the past few days, the silver-haired jonin had tried numerous times to approach the girl, but she pratically ignored him. Her actions were cold towards him and her eyes distant. She remained close to the Uchiha, never leave him his side. Heck, she looked like a mindless drone, obeying his every single command.

Sakura hadn't meant to hurt her ex-sensei. She couldn't bring herself to face him, couldn't bear to deal with the hurt and guilt she saw in his eye. Every time she glanced his way, images of what happened at the daimyo's estate flashed before her. She didn't want to relive that moment. Ever. Her head shot up to look at Sasuke when his hand grasped her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Are you tired?" His question was benign, but it still made her shudder. Truth be told, she had been exhausted long before the sun had set a couple of hours ago. It was probably she had refused to swallow a single bite of food for two days. A loud gasp came out of her as he scooped her up bridal-style in his arms without warning.

"Sasuke, I can walk!" She protested, gripping his arms and trying to push herself out of his reach, to no avail. The way he looked at her told her everthing. You're carrying my child. I will not let you do anything to make this pregnancy anything but perfect.

Their next goal was Konoha. It wasn't yet the time to bring Danzo down. The daimyos would be contacting the Kages only in about a month. Sakura had convinced Sasuke to let them reach their home first. She wanted Tsunade out of there before the Hokage was aware of their plan against him, or else she feared he would use her shishou to convince them to stop everything before it was too late. They still wouldn't attempt to smuggle her out of the city before the last second, though. It would expose them and Hinata probably wouldn't be safe for long.

Their plan was to wait for the inevitable Kage summit that Danzo would be invited to, where the other Kages would share the information the daimyos had offered them with the elders, who would decide of the Hokage's fate. It was clear that things wouldn't go smoothly over there, but they trusted the leaders to deal with it just fine.

Unexpected news had come to them whilst they made their way to Konoha, althought they should all have expected it. The news were of a certain Hyuuga heiress having given birth to a beautiful blonde baby girl. Hinata's pregnancy had been quite advanced when they had left Kumogakure, after all. Sai and Sakura had desperately tried to comfort their whiskered teammate, but he seemed unreachable. He had howled in pain and shame and they had backed off, giving him the space to deal with this. He didn't want anyone around him. He had missed the birth of his first born. He could never forgive himself for that. Amidst all these horrible feelings, all he wanted was to be with the girl he loved, and hold the newborn he knew he would fall in love with as soon as he saw her.

He could just imagine her. Short, scruffy blonde her with her mother's eyes. He wondered if she had inherited his whiskers, the rumors didn't tell. It was his only comfort in this dark moment. Images of his lover holding their baby up in the air and playing with her, feeding her or lulling her to sleep. It felt beautiful. He couldn't wait to be able to hold them both in his arms for the first time. He was impatient for their plan to come into motion, to say the least, but he remained impasive and silent. This new behavior spooked his teammates, to say the least, but they didn't say a word. They could understand.

Hiding a day away from their beloved village, they stood on their toes. Four years of work was finally coming to its conclusion. If they somehow failed, they doubted any of them would survive. Their only ally left would be Gaara, but he would be powerless against every other nation. Sakura was nonetheless confident that everything would go over relatively well. Everything had been planned as perfectly as possible. They couldn't fail. Konoha would be theirs once more.

It was somewhat agreed that Sai and Sasuke would be the ones to retrieve Tsunade. Sasuke had refused to let Sakura go into the city, though he lied about his reasons, saying it was for her own safety and that the fact that they were going for her shishou would impact her ability to react and plan negatively. Kakashi had noticed the smug look on his face as he thought he would be the one to stay and protect her. Sadly for him, his ex-teacher had come up with the brilliant plan of using Sasuke's Susano'o in the middle of the city to get every guard to move from their post.

Naruto, on his side, took no part in this plan. He would be too heavy a target. Everyone would be out for him. When they two black haired boys left for their two-man retrieval mission, Kakashi had thrown a look at the blonde. Somehow, it seemed that he understood what the jonin wanted from him and he excused himself to do some 'personnal business back in the woods' and left them together. Sakura gulped as she watched her friend leave, wishing him to stay but her prayers went unanswered.

"So... That's what he asked you, a child?" Kakashi's voice came, hesitant and barely audible. Sakura refused to look away from the a foot print in the snow she had taken particular interest in. She had to come up with something.

"No. He asked nothing, I told you." She said, repeating her previous answer.

"Then what is it? Why did he..." He found himself unable to finish his sentence. The hand he leaned on clawed at the snow, leaving deep trails in it.

"Why did he fuck me? Because I let him." Her response was harsh and cruel. She knew it. She didn't know what she was doing or why, but she let her lips move of their own accord, not making a single effort to stop them.

"Why would you do that?" Came his shocked reply. It was a good question.

"I couldn't forget him." It was only half-true. She had almost given into him the first time for that reason. She was shooting Kakashi down for that reason now. She couldn't forget how he touched her, what he was putting her through. She couldn't pull Kakashi down with her in this hell. There was a long, awkward pause between them.

"I-It's okay. I love you, Sakura. Just come back to me and we'll get through this." His voice was shaky. He stuttered. Was that even possible or were her ears tricking her?

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. All this was a mistake. Sasuke is all I ever wanted." Her voice felt foreign to her. She didn't recognize herself in it. These words were not hers, there were Sasuke's. It was what she knew he wanted. Kakashi out of their way. It wasn't like she could face him after letting herself be defiled by another man anyway.

"Sakura, you can't possibly mean that!"He protested, kneeling in front of her and grasping her shoulders.

"Look at me, for fuck's sake!" He roared when she averted her eyes from his again. His voice made her flinch and she tried to scramble away from him, but he caught her immediately, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other was around her torso. He pulled her back against his, crushing her back to his chest.

"Sakura, I'm not going to hurt you, you know that. Sasuke is just using you, you-" He was cut off by her violent struggle and the scream that escaped her lips.

"Let me go! You don't know what he did! You have no idea what he is!" She shouted, still trapped in his embrace. She growled and flailed harder, incousciouly using chakra to raise her strength. She heard her captor grunt in in pain when she pulled his arm away from her body, not realising she had almost snapped the bone in two.

"Sakura! What's wrong with you?" He asked after he'd dropped her and held the sensitive spot on his arm carefully. He saw guilt flash in her eyes as she noticed she had hurt him, but it was gone in a second, replaced with that distant expression he'd come to loathe this past week.

"Nothing's wrong with me. S-Sasuke finally came back to me." She muttered and turned away from him, sitting down to hug her knees to her chest while she watched branches sway softly in the wind that had risen.

"I'm not stupid, Sakura. He wants a kid from you. I understand what you did. But why you're acting like this is beyond me. So I'll repeat myself, what is wrong with you?" His voice was even, quiet but demanding. She didn't know what to answer anymore. Tears slid down her cheeks freely. She felt like there was a hurricane inside of her. Everything was flying everwhere, there was so much noise she couldn't hear her own thoughts anymore.

Her eyes unconsciously followed Kakashi as he walked around her and bent down to take her hand in his. He tugged at it, helping her up. She stood up with his help and he pulled her in a delicate embrace, praying she wouldn't push him away again. To his relief, her hands placed themselves on his back and she pressed herself against him, seemingly taking in his warmth and accepting his comfort.

"Can you really still look at me as if nothing happened?" Insecurity was evident in her question, serving only to fuel his desire to protect and hold her.

"You did what you had to do for Konoha. It's honorable." His reply was strained. She knew he was praising her, but it didn't make her feel better. She cared about what he thought of her as his lover, not as a ninja fulfilling her duty to her village.

"I'm not pregnant." She stated as if she was saying the sky was blue. Her eyes had moved up to meet his and they didn't break eye contact for a long time.

"Y-You're not? Isn't it too soon to tell?" He asked incredulously, feeling a weight lift off of him nonetheless.

"Contraception jutsu. I lied to him. I didn't undo it." She explained dully, nuzzling her cheek against his chest.

"Oh, thank Kami." He breathed in relief, hugging her tighter. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. I swear I'll never let him close to you again. I'll prote-" She cut him off quickly before he could finish what he had to say. She didn't want to hear it.

"No. Let me handle this. I need him to believe that I am pregnant if I don't want him to suspect anything and turn on us. Okay?" He took a second to process everything she had just said. He really had no desire to leave her alone in this, but the determination in her eyes told him he stood no chance in changing her mind.

"I trust you ." He said simply, hoping he wasn't wrong to do this. He couldn't forgive himself if anything else happened to her because he was too dumb to see she needed help.

"I'll be distant from you, Kakashi. I'm sorry if I've hurt you, but it's easier if Sasuke thinks I'm helpless against him. If he thinks I'm his, he'll be careless. We can take care of him when all of this is over." Something about what she had just said sounded wrong to him, but he couldn't pinpoint what.

"Just let me handle it." She repeated, breaking his train of thoughts. He nodded and decided to put his trust blindly into her. She had a plan. She had something going that he couldn't interrupt. She had proven to him alreay four years ago when escaping from Konoha that she was a perfectly capable shinobi. He had to let go, trust her, and follow her lead. She was his equal now.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 17:

A loud gasp had escaped Sakura's lips as her shishou appeared in before her, looking splendidly healthy for someone who had been locked up for four years. She couldn't believe her eyes at first as she stood up and closed the distance between her and the older woman. She stared at her with her mouth gaping open.

"S-Shishou?" Her voice cracked, her eyes filling with tears. A startled scream escaped her as he mentor locked her neck in her arms and pressed her into her chest, laughter booming loud.

"Hey, kid! Thought you finally got rid of me, didn't you?" The blonde beamed at her student, a warm smile on her lips.

"I love family reunions, but I didn't someone needs you first." The Godaime interrupted Sakura before she could speak, shoving her to the two men who stood behind her.

"Sakura." Sasuke greeted, his voice sounding strange. She cringed as he saw the blood surrounding his eyes and sliding down his cheeks, almost like tears. The kunoichi rushed to his side as he sat on the ground, shutting his eyes tightly and grunting in pain.

"What happened to you?" She let out quickly as she dropped to her knees and immediately got to inspecting his bleeding eyes.

"A certain someone thought it would be brilliant to summon Susano'o." He explained simply. For a second, she wondered why he hadn't just done something else. Why he hadn't done something that he thought would be less dangerous for him and his precious eyes.

For a moment, Kakashi couldn't believe what he saw. He had really summoned Susano'o and they had all escaped without a scratch? Sure, it had been meant as a distraction, but it was impossible they had met no resistance at all. Something about it was fishy, and after sharing a suspicious look with the fifth, he knew she was thinking the same.

"We'll let you tend to Sasuke, Sakura." She said warmly before grabbing both Sai's and Kakashi's arm to pull them away from the two's earshot.

"What the heck is up with them? They look all lovey-dovey." The woman stated, crossing her arms over her ample chest, an annoyed look on her young face. Sai watched him intently as well, hoping for an answer to this mystery.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He lied miserably, unable to bring himself to tell everyone what had happened between them.

"Fine, I don't wanna know." Growled the real Hokage, punching a nearby tree. Kakashi couldn't help but gulp as he watched the tree split into two perfect halves. He truly wished to never meet his end like that poor tree.

"The Uchiha kid is bullshitting us." Her statement was so blunt and to the point that even the Copy Nin was taken by surprise.

"There's no way we should've escaped that so easily." She continued, continuing on to recount how they had fleed the city. They had been chased by a few ninjas, taken down a couple, but they seemed to fight half heartedly. They had been told to let them go.

"I thought so much when I saw you all without a scratch." Kakashi nodded, trying to get where all of this was going.

They didn't have long to discuss this subject, as Sakura and Sasuke quickly rejoined them, the latter's face now free of blood and no longer contorted in pain. They lost no more time to find Naruto a little deeper in the forest before hurrying up to catch up with the Hokage's carriage. They wanted to be there at the summit when his reign would finally be over.

On their way, Tsunade had taken the time to explain everything that had happened to her and that she knew about the current state of the village. She really had been in a coma for the first week, and had woken up just before Danzo had been named Hokage. Of course, he wouldn't accept this and had his agents abduct her and placed a decoy in her bed. He had kept her alive for one, very funny reason. It was funny to her at least. When everyone went rogue, she was pratically the only medic left in the whole village, the only competent one at least. Saving the lives of leaf nins seemed like a fair deal for the woman.

She had also been pleased to tell Naruto about the birth of his child, which she had participated in. Hinata was perfectly safe for the moment, as was the brat. She'd threatened to stop helping if anyone so much as laid as finger on either of them. With the constant beat up Danzo's troops endured, she turned out valuable enough. Plus, Hinata was good bait to lure Naruto in the city to be caught, so she was solid gold to the Hokage for the time being.

At the hectic pace they had travelled, they managed to arrive at the location where the Kage summit would be held before Danzo. It hadn't been hard for them to receive a warm welcome with Tsunade leading their small group. There had been many gasps and 'I can't believe this', but it didn't take long for everyone to come to their senses. Still, they hadn't come to the conclusion that Tsunade had been held hostage. They believed that she had just woken up recently, thanks to the great medics of Konha. The daimyos would take care of that part of the story.

When Danzo had finally arrived, last of all, the small rogue group had been hidden in a nearby room, waiting for their moment to come in and bust the maniac that served as Hokage. It hadn't been long for the daimyos to start speaking up against him once the meeting had started, talking about how he had manipulated into voting for him by using his root agents and genjutsu. An uproar had started in the room and everyone was arguing loudly. Danzo defended himself as he could, but when Tsunade burst in the room, followed by her leaf nin, and told them everything about his plans. Much of the information she had relayed had been passed on by Sasuke and she had vowed to kill him with her bare hands if he had lied.

To her relief, when she forcefully removed his bandages from his side, she had revealed his arm, full of implanted eyes. That was just too creepy. Danzo had turned insane by name, shouting that they were traitors and not worthy of the Hidden Leaf, many things that did not make sense. He had ordered his guards to killed them, but they were easily taken down by the five Kages. The old man had collapsed to his knees in hysterical, maniacal laughter, blurbing out plans of how he would kill each and every of them before returning Konoha to its former glory. Sasuke stepped forward then, drawing his sword.

"You! You were supposed to turn over all of the missing ninja! You lied to me!" He roared, but his rant was cut short when his throat met the sharp blade of the Uchiha's sword, effectively putting an end to his life.

It was incredible how this meeting had turned out. They had expected such a fight from the man. In the end, he was just a battle-worn old man who had turned insane. Many realized it could have been them, at the end of Sasuke's blade. So many of them had lived through horrific events, losing every of their loved ones. They'd all had this moment where they lost it and just wanted to detroy what was left and those who had crushed their dreams. It had been a moment that had floored them all, even if they should have been rejoicing that his reign was finally over.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice brought everyone out of their trance and they watched the two with curiosity. His hand extended, waiting for her to take it. She glanced to Kakashi who was relatively relaxed, waiting for her to turn him down now that it was all over. Her heart ached for him, but she just couldn't do it. She put her small hand in the Uchiha's and followed as he led her towards the exit.

Kakashi's eye followed them as she passed by him, murmuring an apology, but not even looking at him. His mouth opened a little as he watched the couple leaving, unable to believe it was actually happening. Had she lied? Was she waiting to be alone to kill him? Or was she simply abandoning him for childhood love? Whatever it was, he couldn't bring himself to fight it. He didn't react as he felt his heart break when Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder. He just watched.

"S-Sakura." He breathed out, knowing it would never be loud enough to reach his lover. Naruto had stepped by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I... I guess that's what she always wanted. As long as she's happy, right?" The boy's voice was uneven, he was trying to make sense of the situation too.

"It seems so." He replied cooly, his posture returning to his usual slouch and his expression back to aloof and unreadable. Naruto frowned as he felt his friend put on a hard mask, a wall between himself and the rest of the world. No one would know how deeply he was hurting but himself.

"Let's go home. I think Mr. Ukki must be parched by now." He let out, sporting a happy eye crease.

The return home was smooth and mostly silent. The news that Tsunade was resuming her position as rightful Hokage was being broadcast as quickly as possible so that the Leaf nin could finally return home within the smallest amount of time possible. They had already spent too long out there, without a home to return to. It had taken over a week for them to reach Konoha since no one had it in them to sprint all the way there. As much as a relief Danzo's death had been, it had shaken everyone up. How such a crazy person had managed to manipulate everyone into making him Hokage.

Kakashi was happy to be back home. The second he went through those good old gates, a smile touched his lips. It faded quickly when he looked to his side, not finding the pink-haired girl he wanted so desperately to share this moment with. He would never admit a living soul, but he had refused to go back to his appartment for two weeks. He didn't want to find it empty. Didn't want to see the couch where they had spent awkward evenings trying to get used to each other's constant presence. To see the bathroom he had once bathed in with her. Every little detail would break his heart further.

But after two weeks, he realized he couldn't run away from it forever. That and he was completely out of money. Danzo had used every power he had and had emptied his account. He couldn't get another appartment. Sleeping in trees was fine, but it didn't provide a toilet or fridge, sadly. He held his breath as he unlocked his door and walked in.

His chest constricted painfully when a whiff of her scent assaulted his poor old nose. It was fresh. She had been here. He went into what to be her room first, only to find it unchanged. She hadn't come to pick up any of her belonging. He sighed and left her room, closing the door behind him gently before he slumped against it. He must have been imagining it. He inspected his home from where he sat. Nothing was different, except for the extra thick layer of dust on everything.

It was as it had been, save for the smell, before she had moved in with him. He guessed that's how it was supposed to be. She must've been quite the actor. Or just naïve. That wouldn't be new. She had mistaken her lust for him for love. But bring the Uchiha back in the scene and then she remembers what real love is like. And off she goes with him, completely forgetting about the man she had spent four years with. A lone tear escape his eye before it was soaked up by his mask. He chuckled. How long had it been since he had last cried?

Probably when Rin had died. There went another promise he hadn't been to fulfill. He should really stop promising stuff. He never held them. They were useless. Maybe he was too. His fingers toyed with a kunai he had pulled from his pouch, watching him with morbid interest. He had already contemplated suicide several times before. His father had chosen that way, after all. He couldn't do it though. It would be disrespectful to his father. He had killed himself to make things right, not to escape his pityful empty life. He had done it because he was viewed as worthless thrash. Not matter how badly Kakashi believed himself to be just that, he couldn't deny the fact that many people looked up to him and that he was a valued shinobi of the Leaf. It would be nothing like his father. His decision would only be selfish and weak.

He returned the kunai to its pouch, pushing away all these thoughts and just looked around his painfully empty appartment. Maybe he should get a pet. It would fill the space up with a bit of life and action. Sakura liked cats. He nodded at himself. Yeah, he would get a cat.

A/N: Okay, so next chapter might be the last. That, or the one after. Looks like I'm awful at evaluating how long one point will take. This was supposed to take two or three chapters, but I fit it all in one in the end. So yeah, it's almost over. :3 I have to say I'm slightly relieved. xD As much fun as this was to write, I'm happy to let it go now. I'll surely rewrite it later, when I feel my writing as improved and that I can make this into the epic, great and awesome thing I had first imagined it to be. For now, I hope you've enjoyed it nonetheless, and thanks everyone for every review, follow and favorite. :) They're a great fuel for inspiration and motivation!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Ah, I was impatient for this chapter. Not sure how well I'll manage to make you guys see everything I see, but hopefully it'll do a good job at clearing things up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 18:

The warm Spring sun heated her pale skin, much to her relief. Her arms hauled her small body out of the river in which she had been bathing in. She sat quietly on the edge of it in all her naked glory, letting her legs create large ripples in the water they waved back and forth in. The air was warm, just the right temperature to be comfortable. A small wind was blowing almost rhytmically against her wet skin, elliciting a few shivers from the pinkie. Her delicate hand landed on her protruding belly, petting it gently as she glued her eyes to it.

It had been seven months since that night at the daimyo's estate. Since the night that had caused her so much grief. Soon, her child would be born. Ever since she had first felt it kick, something had changed in her. A sense of responsibility for this child's life had bloomed in her. It didn't matter who the father was, how he was conceived or who he would be. He was her child. She didn't need to hold him in her arms to know she was hopelessly in love with this little being that hid comfortably in her tummy.

Her back slowly lowered to the grass, eyes looking up at the sky, unconsciously counting the few clouds scattered in it. One hand cradled her belly while the other caressed the top of it. A deep, relaxing breath slipped in and out slowly. She enjoyed these few moments alone. These few times when it was only her and her unborn child. He couldn't speak to her, but for some reason that stayed a mystery to her, he seemed to enjoy stirring up when she did this. He must have felt it when she relaxed. He was gonna be a feisty, that much she could tell by the amount of kicks and punches he gave her. Little brat.

"Sakura." Why was he bothering her now? He usually left her alone for a while when she wanted to bathe. He gave her at least that much privacy.

"What is it, Sasuke?" She groaned, not bothering to look behind which tree he hid. Truth be told, he had never touched her once since she had left with him.

"I'm picking up high levels of chakra. You should come back to the house." She heard his footsteps fading away after this. She was aware it was more of an order than a suggestion, but she didn't hurry. If he was in no urgent mood, then they were still far away. She could take a little more time. Past the third week of her pregnancy, her chakra had started failing her. The kid's chakra was messing with hers, preventing her from accessing it at all by the third month as his grew steadily stronger. She could only rely on Sasuke for anything that required sharp senses or a high level of strength.

Lazily, her legs pulled out of the water before she lifted her body up to stand on them. Her clothes were neatly folded on a few away from her. It was sad, really. No towels to dry off with. Sasuke only bothered to gather the absolute necessities. And really, he had no taste in fashion. Her new clothes consisted almost only of mid-thigh length loose shorts with elastic waistbands and plain t-shirt of every color of the rainbow. He hadn't even known what color she liked to wear, so he had taken a different one for the number of shirts he assumed she needed.

The walk back to their wood cabin, stolen from a poor civilian Sasuke had no pity for, was barely a fifteen minute walk away from the beautiful lake she had just bathed in. Those few minutes were spent pondering over a certain silver-haired man that she had reluctantly abandonned several months back. About her behavior towards him. She understood why she had acted in such a way by now, but it didn't excuse it. It had taken several weeks before she accepted her situation.

She had wanted to forget about what her old friend had done to her. Refusal to acknowledge it had led her to push away the man she loved, to feign being fine and to not have a child growing inside of her. For a time, she believed her lies. She followed and obeyed Sasuke's orders without question, resuming the role she had assumed towards him before he had deserted. Despair had driven her to twist reality in a way that made her sick now. Now she was well aware that she felt nothing but hatred for the father of this tiny living being in her stomach. All those months trying to act like they were wife and husbands nauseated her.

Where had her bite gone? She wasn't the kind to get kicked and just take it. Her ego and stubborness didn't allow her to. Just for a while, for a few months, she had hidden behind a personna, one she had believed she had gotten rid of, but that Sasuke had brought forth again. The little insecure, sad and weak girl who had wanted to abandon the Leaf for a psychopath. The girl who had innocently wanted love and a life with him more than anything else. Only years later had she realised how terrible her actions had been. It didn't matter, because she had only been a child at that time, but now she was a grown woman. She had no excuse for acting this way. Shinobi didn't act that way.

The first kick of her son had been the trigger that opened the flood gates, that forced her to come to terms with her situation and her feelings. It had taken a while, many sleepless nights spent sobbing and screaming her heart out, but she felt herself come back with a new vigorous sense of self at the end of it. Sasuke would not be the end of her. She didn't know if he would die at her hands, but it didn't matter. She had what he desired the most. He only tolerated her because of the child she carried, she was well aware of that fact. When the right time came, she would free them. She would not allow her child to live the life of a missing ninja from the first day of his life to its end.

Her mind wandered to those chakras he had felt. To who did they belong? It could spell trouble for him, and indirectly her, if they decided that the Uchiha name should die with him. Drifting to a far-away memory, she also remembered the note she had left to Kakashi under his pillow. Uncertain of what she had meant to do with it and whether or not she had meant for it to find him, she came to the conclusion that she was happy to have insisted on leaving it. It didn't say much. It said that she was sorry. That she loved him. She didn't even believe those words when she had written them, or why she had done it. A deep feeling of helplessness had driven her to do it, but she thankful for it together. Wherever and whatever he was doing, she dearly hoped that he had found it.

Sometimes at night, she would watch the stars and wish to them that he had found either closure in it, or a desire to seek her out and find her. The latter was more tempting, but she believed it was too selfish to honestly wish it. She could imagine him knocking their front door down, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her away into the sunset. The little imaginary scene put a smile to her lips. She had no idea how Kakashi was doing. No idea of how he felt towards her now. All she knew was that she had blown her best chance at happiness to be miserable. It was pitiful, really, but she had been at fault. She couldn't blame him if he gave up on her.

"Sakura." She chuckled at the sound of the familiar baritone voice. She was imagining sounds now.

"Sakura!" A hand grasped her shoulder and her kunoichi instincts kicked her. Her fist swiftly collided with the nose of her offender, a curse of string escape his mouth as he cradled his mask-covered nose.

Wait. His mask-covered nose?

Her eyes focused on the person standing at her side and they widened so much that for a second, she honestly thought that they would fall out of their sockets. A tall man, silver untamed mane, standard jounin uniform and an infernal mask. Her jaw dropped and she stared. Stared and stared as she cursed whatever god was making her hallucinating.

"I guessed you might be mad to see me, but did you really have to punch me?" He complained, his voice laced with annoyance. This was real. He was there. And he was bleeding all over the place.

"K-Kakashi?" She called softly, still unable to believe her eyes.

"Yes. I'm not a ghost, stop staring at me like that." He deadpanned, giving her an odd look.

"Oh. Yeah, uh, sorry." She blurted out, closing her mouth and blinking stupidly.

"A little help, please?" He asked softly, his onyx eye never leaving her jade orbs.

"I can't do anything about it." She replied honestly. He seemed oblivious to what she looked like below the shoulders.

"You can't possibly hate me that much." His eye was squinting as if in disbelief. A smirk crossed her pretty features and shook her head at him.

"And you can't possibly be that blind." She responsed and observed him closely, waiting for the moment when realisation would dawn on him. And it soon did. His eye lowered to her mid-section, searching for what she meant, when it widened and a gasp escaped his lips. This sound was instantly burned into her memory. She had never heard her sensei gasp before.

"Just how far along are you? You look ready to burst!" His voice was filled with surprise. He had really believed her when she had told him she wasn't pregnant.

"Seven months. I still have about two more months to go." Why did talking to him feel so natural and easy? Why wasn't he making any remarks about how she had left him? Heck, how did he even find her? So many questions that were thrown out the window the second he spoke again.

"Wow. I guess you've really got another life now." His statement bothered her. No. She didn't. She was constantly planning against Sasuke, waiting for the perfect moment to escape him.

"So must you." She replied blankly, the smile wiped off her face and her eyes turning to an odd, dull expression he wasn't accustomed to seeing.

"Stop kidding, Sakura." His tone dropped to a low, dangerous sound. She had to bit her tongue to refrain from closing the distance between them and kiss those lips she had missed so badly.

"Are you happy?" The question was a simple one, yet it surprised her. Eye contact was formed once again between them and she couldn't bring herself to answer. She knew it was a silent offer of his help. But she couldn't burden him with the task of delivering her from the man who had violated her. She wasn't his anymore. She couldn't force that responsibility on him now. She would get out of this by herself.

"I am." She lied swiftly, breaking eye contact.

"You're lying." Her eyes moved back to him quickly. He had said this with such ease, it made her wonder for whose benefit he was saying it.

"You heard the girl, Kakashi. You should leave now." Sasuke's voice came from behind them, coming from the direction of the horrible home she had promptly forgotten about when Kakashi had shown up.

"I'm not talking to you. I want her honest answer." Kakashi never removed his eyes from the object of his affection. He would do as she wished. If this is what she wanted, then so be it. The note he had found several months back led him to believe that there was still hope for him, but he might be clinging to false expectations. Nothing was clear to him anymore now that his beautiful cherry blossom had exited his life.

His finger brushed hers ever so softly as he closed the distance between them, his nose hovering barely an inch away from hers. Sakura could see the pleading in his eye, silently begging her to take his hand in hers. To give him the strength to punch this monster who had snagged her away from him to make her his unwilling concubine. She couldn't possibly want this. He couldn't believe it. His eye followed her smallest movements for any clues. Her teeth bit down on her lower lip, he heard her heart beat pick up, felt her breath quickening against his chin.

"I came back for you, Sakura." He breathed against her forehead, placing a soft clothed kiss. Her heart swelled at his words, a feeling of longing and happiness washing over her. Time had stopped for a second for her. Nothing existed but them, and the way his mask felt against her skin, his fingers gently coaxing hers to lock with his.

She gasped as she was pulled away from him, into the arms of a man she despised and loathed more than ever right this second. Her hands flew up to grasp his arms, fingernails digging into his skin hard enough to break it. Her eyes never let Kakashi's.

"Leave her, Kakashi. You've said enough." Sasuke roared, his voice resounding painfully in Sakura's ear. The jonin's gaze move to his ex-student for a moment, before returning to his lover. Her eyes were filled with determination and a fire that couldn't mistaken for anything else. Sakura was back with a vengeance.

"I think the girl made her choice, Sasuke." A grin appeared on the older man's face, impossible to miss even with his mask. Sasuke frowned and he looked down at the girl he held, slightly worry lines etched into his face. He was goddamn right to worry, the kunoichi told herself just before she swung her head back at him. A small crack confirmed that she had effectively broken his nose. His arms didn't release her, instead tigtening their hold on her as he pulled a kunai out and pressed it to her throat.

"You bitch!" He yelled as he backed away a few distance, putting a reasonnable distance between them and the jonin.

"Don't get any closer." He warned him, pushing the blade harder against the girl's throat.

"Go ahead, Kakashi! He's not gonna kill me!" She didn't feel for her safety once. Over the months, Sasuke had showed her to what lengths he would go to protect his unborn child. He was worth the world to him. He wanted this child more than anything else, risking his own safety more than once to provide housing or supplies for the woman. She felt his breath hitch behind her. A glance up his way showed her black eyes that expressed betrayal. Had he really expected her to side with him? She must have been doing a goddamn good job at looking satisfied with this life and his presence.

The next seconds were nothing but a blur to Sakura. She had latched onto his arms, preventing him from escaping Kakashi's incoming attack. The sound of a thousand birds ripped through the air, a bright light forcing her eyes closed as she waited. They flew open when she felt Sasuke flip them around, his back to his opponent. The scream of pain that escaped him as chidori cut through him chilled her to the bone. Her breath froze in her chest and Sasuke's arms went limp around her and he dropped to her knees behind her.

She turned around hesitantly, her eyes widening as she assessed the extend of the damage done to his back. Even if she had access to all of her chakra, there was no way she could save him. Chidori was truly a jutsu to fear. She felt bile rising up her throat before she tore her eyes from his gaping wound. Wouldn't that attack have hit her if he hadn't protected her? For a second, she couldn't believe what was happening. Maybe Kakashi wanted her child, Sasuke's child, dead that badly. Whether it was because of how it had happened or how much he despised the father, it didn't matter to Sakura had that moment.

Sasuke's hands came up to rest on her belly, a small smile on his lips when a kick hit his palm. This was his child. He would live and make the Uchiha clan proud. He knew he was dying. Sakura could see it in his eyes, but she saw no regret. He was smiling. Why was he smiling when he was dying? Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him, waiting for the moment he would drop. It was with no impatience, for the person she saw dying wasn't the cold-blooded killer, but the boy who had only wanted to avenge his clan, who only wanted his family and clan back.

"You'll... You'll make me... proud, I know." His last words were spoken with such sincerity and love for the child hidden in her womb that it broke her heart to know that he would never meet his only son. She released a shaky breath as he fell to the ground, all life leaving him with the last breath he expelled.

"S-Sasuke..." She whispered, dropping to her knees beside him. Kakashi kneele beside her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and pulling her to him in a tight embrace.

"He's in a better place now..." She breathed out gently, honestly. She hoped with all she had that Kami would be indulgent towards him.

A/N: I think I'm in love with this chapter. Think. All bu this word, indulgent. I was really looking for another word, but after twenty minutes on it, I gave it. I think it sounds like grateful, but it's obviously not the word I'm going for. Anyway, I really enjoyed this chapter. I love writing about the interactions between Kakashi and Sakura. I'm no action writer, but this I love. :3 There'll be another chapter, that's for sure. This part was much longer than I anticipated. Heck, it's not even all that I planned to put in this chapter but it just seemed right to end it here. There's one chapter at least, possibly another.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 19:

Sakura's aggressive screams and grows filled the room, echoing off the walls and reverbrating in the hallway. Kakashi chuckled to himself, thinking about all the people she must be terrying. His attention was quickly pulled back to his own situation as his girlfriend's hand clamped down on his, clearly breaking a bone a or two.

"Sakura! Please stop maiming my poor hand. I don't think there's anything left of it." He pleaded, giving her the best happy eye crease he could muster.

"I'll consider when you're the one having your insides torn apart!" She raged, whimpering as another contraction wracked her body.

"Okay, Sakura! Enough arguing, when I tell you to, push! As hard as you can!" Tsunade instructed from between her thighs. This had to be one of the most awkward moments of her life. She was half naked in front of half of dozen people who watched her intently.

"But it's not even my fault if you're going through this!" He begged as she tightened her hold on his already mangled hand. He was starting to doubt the pain she was going through was really worse than what she was making the nerves of his poor hand endure. His statement caused glances to be thrown his way as it roused curiosity, but it was quickly forgotten when another contraction came.

"Okay, push! Push, push, _push_!" Tsunade's voice boomed.

Kakashi and Sakura hadn't told anyone about who the real father of her child was. It's not like they'd had that long to ponder over it anyway. An hour after she had stepped in Konoha as a free woman for the first time in years, her water had burst and her contraction had started. Baby was too happy to see his home it seemed, and wanted out a month earlier.

To say everyone had been shocked when the pink-haired kunoichi entered the hospital screaming and bossing everyone around as to how to handle her and who to get was an understatement. No one had been aware of her pregnancy, and before they had even had the time to register it, she was giving birth. Their close friends had just been contacted and were on their way to give their support to the soon-to-be mother.

"Sakura! They told me you were having a baby and I really thought the guy wasn't joking for a second, he looked so serious!" Naruto let out, his voice loud and enthusiastic as well. His jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes nearly popped out as his brain processed what he was witnessing.

"Oh my gosh, you _are _having a baby!" He blurted before proceeding to faint in the hall.

"Naruto, you asshole! Wake up!" Sakura screamed at him, the anger in her voice easily mistakable for muderous intent. For just a second, Kakashi was grateful he wasn't in Naruto's position. The blonde remained blissfully obvious and passed out on the floor, much to the jonin's dismay. He could use some support, too.

It wasn't long before his wish was granted and nearly a dozen people tried to enter the room, only to have Tsunade threaten to kill them if any of them made one more single sound and didn't let Sakura deliver in peace. Everyone had backed out in a flash once they'd realized that what they saw was real. The door closed loudly and the room was silent for a second, before Sakura's screams tore through it once more.

A few moments later, Sakura's screams of agony were replaced by the tiny, powerful crying voice of a baby boy. Tsunade stared at the newborn in shock as she took in his appearance. Pitch black hair and eyes. There was no way that this was brat's father was Kakashi. One of the nurses was about to speak up about this fact, but the murderous glare the Hokage threw her way shut her up immediately. The new parents were definitely thankful for her silent acknowledgment of who the father was. They didn't want to deal with this just yet.

As soon as her baby boy was placed in her arms, Sakura forgot everything that she had just endured. All the pain, the anxiousness, the fear flew away from her and was replaced by pure joy. Her heart swelled with pride as she took in every little detail of her baby, biting her lip as she thought he was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. Kakashi watched her silently, unsure of how to react to all of this. He couldn't help but feel immediate affection for the child that she held so lovingly in her arms, but the fact that he was not the father stopped him from trying to get closer to the baby. The look on her face was priceless though, making every of his worries evaporate. This woman was in heaven right now. It didn't matter who the father was or how he had been conceived, she loved him with all her heart immediately. He was happy for her. He had been worrying that she might see the child as a constant reminder of what Sasuke had done to her.

"Kakashi, isn't he beautiful?" She asked expectantly, looking up to him with eyes so full of happiness that he thought he might fall for her all over again.

"He is." He replied nonchalantly, crinkling his eye. Her smile diminished slightly at his reaction and he felt incredibly guilty for it, even though he didn't know how else to react or what he had even done.

"He is your son, Kakashi." She said as if it was the most obvious thing on Eart. Thing was, he wasn't.

"I hate to break it to you, Sakura, but it's obvious he's not from me..." He whispered, scratching the back of his neck in extreme discomfort.

"It doesn't matter. We'll raise him like our own. You will, won't you?" Her gaze had shifted to the boy who was now gripping her finger will all his might, using his whole tiny hand to do it, before going back to his eyes. His remained on the baby as he registered what she said and evaluated it, but failed to come up with an answer. It wasn't his child, it was Sasuke's. But he'd be glad to act as his fatherly figure.

"Here, hold him. You'll see." She said as she handed the tiny, towel covered being to him as if it would move his world upside down.

And move his world upside down it did. When he had cradled him carefully, if not awkwardly in his arms, the baby had started shouting violently, yearning for his mother's warmth it seemed. Kakashi swore he could feel his eardrums bleeding, but as he examined the newborn's face, he knew that he would give his life for him. Kami, how did babies do this? He'd heard about this phenomenom. About when you finally held your child in your arms, that it rocked your world and scrambled everything until the baby was sure it was the center of your world.

"W-Wow." He commented out loud, having meant for it to be only a thought.

"Call them in, Tsunade. I think he's ready to meet everybody." Sakura exclaimed happily as she noticed the visible change in the jonin's stance.

When everyone had come in, quietly to Sakura's suprise, she'd presented her little boy proudly, without a hint of worry or doubt in her voice and eyes. Their friends had all hesitated for a moment as they saw the baby. It was obvious who the father was. Genma even threw a weary glance Kakashi's way, but when he shrugged, accepted the fact easily.

The day had been long and strenous on both new parents. Presenting a baby to an overeager mob of ninja was no easy job. A sigh of relief escaped Sakura's lips as she put the baby in his bed. She had just fed him and was thoroughly ready for bed herself. She laid down by Kakashi's side on the small cot, eyes dropping in pure exhaustion.

"You can teach him to use his sharingan when he's old enough." She muttered against his chest. He chuckled.

"How do you know he even has it?" He questionned, fingers playing in her hair.

"A mother knows, shut up." She complained weakly.

"Hm, I guess. Are you scared?" His question was a little unexpected, but Sakura's response was swift.

"No. He's going to be a great child." She said with such confidence that it warmed the older jonin's heart.

"I mean, about... His roots." He adde, trying to remain elusive. He didn't want to say out loud that he wasn't the father. He would never admit it to any living soul, but it was true.

"You saw today, no body even asked. They'll love him. Or I'll kick their asses." She grumbled, obviously succumbing to sleep.

"It doesn't matter to you who... Who is father really is?" His voice was hesitant.

"It's a blessing in disguise. He looks like a copy of Sasuke. I'll make sure he lives a great life this time around." Once more her answer came quickly and with confidence. It was true. He looked every bit like his father. Maybe she was right. Maybe with this child, team 7 would get its rightful closure. He truly hoped this child led a happy life, nothing like the tragedy Sasuke had lived through. He wouldn't fail him.

It had been five years since Kosuke's birth. In a way, you could say everything had changed. But nothing had changed. Konoha was back to normal, finally done with its reconstruction. Relationships with Suna were no longer strained. The Hokage made sure of it. The boisterous blonde had taken to the job like a fish to water. He couldn't be happier, his lifelong dream was finally fulfilled.

On their side, Kakashi and Sakura had moved into a bigger appartment. No one had made a big deal of their son's true background. Team 7 considered it a second chance, while it allowed others to come to terms with the Uchiha massacre. Maybe the clan did have a chance at survival if its last member was no longer a revenge-driven madman.

Sakura's screams were ripping through the hospital once more as she gave birth to another child. As usual, the birth went smoothly. She was a strong and solid woman, nothing would bring her down, Kakashi was certain of that much. A boyish grin graced his features as he got to hold his white-haired and green-eyed daughter for the first time.

"Well, aren't you a beauty." He sing-songed, giving her a happy eye crease. It still gave Sakura the creeps when he used that voiced. He was a great father. But she had never been able to imagine him baby-talking and bieng able to be playful with children. She had always assumed them to be a nuisance to him. He had even freaked out so many times with their previous baby. Ah, good memories.

"Dad! Dad! Want to see sis too." A pink-haired toddler whined as he tugged on his father's pant leg.

"Of course, Nagashi. Here's your baby sister." He said as kneeled down, presenting his black-eyed son the newborn girl he held. The scene warmed Sakura's heart to no end, even if all she wanted was to sleep right then.

"She looks like she spent too much time in the bath." Kosuke complained, poking carefully at her round cheek.

"No worries, she's perfectly healthy, boys." He reassured, ruffling his older son's hair.

Sakura reflected on her life for the past ten years as she drifted to sleep. It had been so hectic. Running around as a missing nin and giving birth to her first child basically the second she stepped through the gates. Then, five years of peace. If could count screaming babies and painful birthgiving peace. She smiled and chuckled, realizing she wouldn't trade her life and her family for anything in the world. Kakashi smiled a knowing smile as he watched his wife. They were happy now. They all were. What a nice ending.

A/N: Oh. My. God. This is the end of it. o-o I can't believe it. I can't believe it's so short either. For some reason I couldn't add anything to it. Well... This was a great ride, to say the least. My first truly completed story. I'm sorely tempted to add on it with tiny shorts about Sakura's and Kakashi's struggle with three toddlers on their hands. I'll think about it. That image I had of Kakashi's eyes bulging out as Kosuke proceeded to vomit the first meal he fed him on his shoulder made it very tempting. Would anyone care to read that?


	20. Que sera, sera - It will be Okay

A/N: Oh god! I just realised I forgot to add a big detail in the last chapter! That's me being impatient as always. xD Well, hey, this means I get a good reason to write a snippet, so I'm happy. I can't seem to let these two go now that they're better off.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

_August 25th year 1_

The new mother sat comfortably in an old and used couch, rocking a small, black-haired baby boy back and forth on her knee. Bright smile on her lips, eyes full of life, and her demeanor playful. One of her hands cradled the baby's neck carefully, protectively, while the other spend its time tickling his stomach or hiding his mother's face from his view. She growled as she picked up the baby, lifting him up as high as her arms would allow. The small boy burst in a fit of giggles, stretching his tiny limbs in all directions as he explored the air around him, his eyes studying the room that seemed immense to him.

"Kakashi, I've waned to ask you about something for a while." Her voice resonated in her partner's ears as he leaned on the couch, watching the two with interest. He had never been around babies. The closest he had been was when he'd been given his first genin team to teach. And one of them was the mother handling the child, of which he had killed the father. It would haunt him forever, but he strongly believed it was for the best this way. He hummed his acknowledgment while one of his hands went to the child who was now at his eye level. One of his finger carefully poked the baby's stomach.

"When you used Chidori to kill Sasuke, was it meant for me or Kosuke?" He was always amazed at how she could ask questions about such sensitive subjects with confidence dripping out of her and doubt seemingly inexistant in her mind.

"I mean, I can't believe you would have wanted to kill me, but maybe..." Her eyes trailed to the baby that she brought against her chest, her fingers brushing through his hair gently.

"Don't you remember what you said, just before?" He replied with the same confidence, his own hand moving down to pet the child's head. His hair was so soft.

"Huh? What did I say?" The moment had really been so fast and blurry to her that she couldn't even remember saying anything. All she remembered was the light and sound of chidori as it came towards her and Sasuke. It had been terrifying to say the least.

"You said that he wasn't going to kill you." He said that as if it was supposed to answer her every questions, but it just made more arise. Confusion was clearly shown on her pretty features when he looked down from above her head to see her.

"Sakura, I trust you. You've become a formidable ninja. When you said that, I trusted you completely and..." He left her to complete his sentence, he knew she had was perfectly aware of where he was headed with this.

"Look underneath the underneath." He nodded at her answer.

"I knew he wouldn't let his child die. And the face he had when you said that, it confirmed it. You were his weak point, after all." He continued, teasing her a little at the end. In truth, he felt a pang of guilt every time he thought about this strategy. He had been purely selfish. It was the easy way to get Sakura back and receive the least injuries. Her life was in no way threatened. Getting her back and making her happy had been his only motives.

She offered him no response, as if sensing what he was thinking about. She was well aware that Sasuke's death hadn't been necessary at that moment. Kosuke was slowly falling asleep against her chest, his breathing now short snores. The male hand caressing his hair had moved up to cup her soft cheek. He loved how she leaned into his touch, her eyes closing and the way she breathed out a content sigh.

"You did right, Kakashi." His body tensed when she finally spoke, breaking the silence he had found so comfortable.

"It was selfish." He replied honestly. There was nothing else to say.

"You did what you had to." How could she be so peaceful with this? Didn't she see him for the twisted, selfish man he really was? He chuckled and pressed his cheek to the top of her head, relaxing there for a moment

"I did what I had to do to get you back. It was selfish." He repeated himself. The hand that wasn't cradling the baby moved up to ghost her fingers against his exposed cheekbone.

"No. He knew it would happen. He let it happen." He frowned at this. Sasuke couldn't possibly have known about it and let it happen so easily.

"He told me about how you threatened to kill him if he laid a finger on me again, before Root busted us in Kumo. He knew that sooner or later you'd come for him and that he couldn't possibly keep himself, his child and me alive and with him. I... I guess he preferred to die than see Kosuke be taken from him." Her last sentence was spoken with feelings the older man recognized all too well. Regret, guilt and a little of self-hatred.

"I was just as selfish as you were. I didn't want to honor the deal I made with him." Her voice was a little shaky, barely, but it was there. She was thinking about how Kosuke was conceived, he assumed. The thought of asking her for a few more details about it had crossed his mind, but he wasn't sure if he could handle whatever she would tell him. Had he been gentle? Or had he hurt her?

"H-How did... Was it painful?" He hated the words as soon as they rolled off his masked lips, but he couldn't stop them. It might have been to relieve his guilt of killing his own student. If he could believe Sasuke had thoroughly forced himself on his beloved, then maybe his murder could be considered right. Guilt cut through him as he felt the pink-haired mother tense and hold her breath as she try to repel the waterfall of memories that assaulted her.

She felt no desire to share this. No one had been aware of their deal, of why she was the mother of Sasuke's child. Everyone had assumed that in a moment of weakness, she gave herself to her first love. In no way did she regret having this child, as he constantly reminded her that his father had once been a nice, innocent child. A child who once had a chance at happiness. It drove her to offer Kosuke the best she could give him, to give him the chance his father never had. But remembering those few minutes in the closet with him terrified her. He had broken her. He had torn apart everything that she had been, everything that she had fought to become for years, in the blink of an eye.

"It wasn't painful." She breathed out carefully, unsure of how much she was willing to tell him. How much he was prepared to hear. The lack of effort to stop her on his side pushed her to continue.

"It wasn't, not physically, but..." Tears welled up in her eyes as long-forgotten fear and pain bubbled to the surface.

"I don't know what happened. It didn't last long. He... He made me..." She bit the inside of her cheek, the hand that had been resting on him coming down to grip the cushion on the couch. Kakashi didn't move away, even though he could pratically feel rage radiating from her.

"I don't even know how to explain it, Kakashi. I tried to convince him I could just do it without his help, I mean, I'm a medic. I would know what to do if he just gave me a sample. He refused. He said I should have specified that when made the deal." The words flowed from her like a river, bursting through the barrage she had built to protect herself from these horrible memories. The current was too strong to stop now.

"I don't know why he did it. Like that, I mean. He wanted me to surrender to him. And I did. I couldn't take it. It was horrible. He forced me to accept him. I wasn't able to stay strong and just grirt my teeth through it. So instead... I broke. I gave into him." He listened to her every word, even though all he wanted was to clamp a hand over those pretty lips and never hear any of it again. But he couldn't stop her, he couldn't let her deal with this alone just to save himself.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. For everything I did after. I-I never loved him. I didn't leave you for him, I don't know... I-I just couldn't bear to face what was going, what he did to me. It was like I was someone else. It was the only way I found to be able to cope." His heart clenched painfully in his chest, feeling deep sorrow for what she had been through. For what he had been unable to protect her from.

"Don't you go worrying about me. You're the one who had to endure this... Him r-ra..." His voice was low, shaky. Desperate. Unable to name what she had endured. He could never say that word out loud if it concerned his delicate cherry blossom. Sakura's beautiful jade eyes focused on the black screen of the tv in front of her. She ached for him, for the pain he felt, but her heart also swelled with gratitude at his concern for her.

"I-It's okay, Kakashi. I was raped, by me ex-teammate. But it's over, now. I have you. I would never take back what happened... Because now I have Kosuke. I would go through all of it again if I had to, as long as I have both of you." His heart felt lighter when he heard her voice once more. It wasn't weak or hesitant. It was back to being full of confidence and, dare he say, hope for the future. Every word she said shook him to the core. They dripped with truth, raw emotion and selfish desire to have the people she loved close to her no matter what.

"Sasuke deserved what happened to him. We can't be ridden with guilt because he used to be our teammate." And those few words freed him from his incessant guilt and harassing self-loathing. She had really come to terms with Sasuke's death, with how and why he had died. He could, too.

"I love you, Sakura. You're my everything." He whispered hoarsely in her ear, his arms wrapping around her torso so tightly it was almost painful.

"I love you, Kakashi. Everything is okay." She replied in all sincerity, her free hand resting on the heavy arms that held her. Once, a long time back, her sensei had told him that one day, some time, everything would be okay. It was true.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Can someone please explain to me why chapter 20 has more visitors (and views) than chapter 18 and 19? o-o

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 21:

_October 12th, year 1_

"Hey, Sakura, look! Kosuke is walking!" Kakashi called, his voice cheerful. Sakura had yet to get used to it. He had taken to fatherhood like a fish to water. He couldn't get enough of little Kosuke. The young mother stood up from the couch she had been napping on to see her son standing up thanks to the help of a silver-haired jonin.

"He's not walking yet, Kakashi. He's just standing up because you're supporting him. He's been doing that for the past two weeks already." She comment light-heartedly. She was in constant awe of her baby boy, but this exploit of his was no news.

"No, no. Look. He'll walk." Kakashi continued enthusiastically as he backed away from the spot where he was sitting, putting about two feet's distance between him and the child. He tugged on his hands gently, forcing Kosuke to take wobbly steps towards the man.

"See? He walked!" The expression on his face was lovely. He looked completely entranced by the baby, as if even his existence was an incredible miracle.

"Kakashi... He's not walking. But you know what he can do?" She offered playfully, kneeling by their side.

"Go right ahead." He replied, picking up his son and offering him carefully to his girlfriend. As soon as the baby was safely in her arms, she pounced on the Copy Nin, knocking him to the ground easily before sitting on his chest. She placed Kosuked on his collarbone, carefully letting him drop down on her lover's face. He burst into laughter, gurgling and squealing as his grabbed at his father's nose, squeezing it painfully in those tiny finger of his.

"He can already conquer the great Copy Ninja!" She boasted proudly, hands on her hips as she looked down to the defeated man. He remained silent, glaring silently at the ceiling as Kosuke proceeded to drool on him profusely.

Why did he accept this role already? To be used as a cushion to the two loves of his life? You bet.


End file.
